A Life of Magic: The Third Child Prophecy
by The-Cheese-Fairy
Summary: AU Previously A life of Magic. Part one of a series. Over the years, as the Halliwell family expands, a very powerful demon named Decron plots to prevent the infamous 'third child'. It's going to be a bumpy road, especially for Paige and her family...
1. Weddings from Hell, Babies from Heaven

_I do not own Charmed or any of the characters you recognise from the show- It is property of WB. I do however own the characters that were never in Charmed and are in my fanfic. So far that's just Mark and his family (who aren't that important…yet)_

Note: This is my first Fanfic so I'm new to all the posting stuff. If It turns out wonky then I'm sorry! It's just kind of how I imagined the charmed ones' lives would turn out and how they would meet their end. Focus shifts around so each sister has her time to shine. I promise the story is a lot better than it sounds!

As much as I adore them, Chris and Wyatt don't exist. (Sorry! There will be kids though!)

Cole never became possessed by the source, but the source was still vanquished.

This is set about a year after Piper and Phoebe meet Paige (if I get dates wrong I'm sorry!)

Piper is pregnant and Leo's the father (I love Leo more than I love Cole but I couldn't split up Piper and Leo! Phoebe and Cole are not married or engaged (Cole's mine I tell you! Mwahahaha…whistles innocently)

Paige is engaged to a male witch called Mark Anderson. He is what is known as a nauctater- a witch hunter. Centuries ago, the elders picked a small group of male witches and gave them the nauctater gene, which is passed on through the male descendants. Mark is one of the few left in the world. He came from Scotland at the same time as Paige found her sisters and it was love at first sight (I'm an old romantic! Sorry:p)

I think that about covers it. If you are confused, Review and tell me why so I can explain. (review anyway though…please), but don't be too mean…lol! I will probably make a lot of time errors though, so bare with me. Thank you and enjoy!

Laur xXx

**Chapter 1- Weddings from hell and babies from heaven.**

"I'm gonna look like a blimp standing next to you in the photos!" Piper complained to her youngest sister. "You look gorgeous, and you're not even dressed!"

"Yeah honey, so do you." Paige replied. Her wedding day had finally arrived and her butterflies were now so immense that she was finding it hard to talk without showing all her teeth in a huge grin.

"Yeah Piper," Phoebe continued, "and you do not look like a blimp!"

Phoebe and Piper were Paige's bridesmaids. Piper was seven months pregnant and was getting rather large, causing her to complain about her maternity outfits- _a lot_. The three sisters were sitting in the attic getting ready to summon their mother and grandmother so that they would be able to attend Paige's wedding.

Paige was sitting in the corner of the attic in a bright orange bathrobe. The reason she was not yet dressed was because she wanted her mother to see her ready before anyone else. Pieces of her light brown hair hung in curls around her face and the rest had been tied up in a large bun. Her makeup, as promised, had been done by Phoebe and she wore large diamond chandelier earrings, which had been given to her by her father (AN- yes I mean Sam. Forgot to mention that he's in contact. Not important really.)

She took a quick glimpse out of the window and noticed her friend Glenn approach the door of the Halliwell Manor with his fiancé. Ironically, this time two years ago Paige had seen herself ending up with Glen. She laughed silently and wondered what her life would have turned out like if she had never met her sisters. For one thing she wouldn't have learned she was a witch and she most certainly would not have met Mark.

Mark Anderson sat alone in the basement of his soon-to-be wife's home. His long curls fell round his face and stopped at his firm jawline. He had been ready in his full Scotsman's outfit since eight that morning. Nerves and excitement had led him down to the half decorated basement, where he was sure Paige wouldn't find him. Throughout the morning (It was now noon), he had been visited by every member of Paige's family and had been given many words of encouragement and advice. Mark could see how close her family were and he was comforted by the fact that everyone seemed to have welcomed him into the family with open arms. It was ironic that Piper and Phoebe had actually known him longer than they had known their sister, but although Paige had only been 'part of the family for a year, the bond they had as sisters still amazed Mark.

He could hear the guests starting to arrive and wondered if Leo had gotten to the airport in time to pick up his family. His thoughts were answered by the sarcastic comment of his sixteen-year-old cousin, who was starting on her way down he stairs.

"Alright sexy!" she laughed as she ran to hug her uncle.

"Oh my god! You look so grown up!" He smiled at his niece. He had hardly seen any of his family since he had moved to San Francisco two years ago and now, as they all piled into the basement, his nerves disappeared.

After conversing with her son for about twenty minutes Mrs Rose Anderson was led to the attic by Patricia Halliwell, where she was to finally meet the infamous Paige Matthews. Being a witch herself she was not disturbed by the Book of Shadows or the empty potion viles that occupied the attic, in fact, she was more disturbed by how normal the Manor looked.

Paige was now dressed and looked gorgeous in her off-white wedding dress. The bodess fitted her like a corset and the long sleeves looked almost elvish as they trailed on the floor. The dress had a long tail, which Paige now had tucked under her arm and although she was stood, slouching over the Book of Shadows, she looked elegant and graceful. When she turned to greet her future mother-in-law she was mildly surprised at how unlike Mark she was. In fact, the only similarity was the mysterious blue eyes.

"Hi," Paige said meekly. She had not met Mrs Anderson before and wanted to make a good first impression.

"Well," Mrs Anderson smiled, "It's so nice to finally be meeting you." She pulled Paige into a hug and Paige was suddenly at ease, knowing Rose's stern exterior was the complete opposite of what she was inside.

After Paige was aquatinted with the rest of Mark's family, she and her sisters were left alone in the attic once more. Grams and Patty, who were travelling to the church separately, had gone downstairs to prepare. The sisters laughed at the thought of each of 'their guys' wearing a 'skirt' but they immediately corrected themselves after Cole came in looking, as Phoebe had put it, 'super hot.' Paige was suddenly glad that she had agreed to a traditional Scottish Wedding.

"Hey..." he said, pausing to take in the sight of the three Halliwell sisters. "You look really beautiful," he told them with an encouraging smile. "Everyone's left for the church. Sam and Leo are waiting downstairs."

Piper and Phoebe were dressed in long burgundy bridesmaids dresses. Piper's sat awkwardly on her stomach but despite this they both looked stunning. Paige, who was standing in the middle of her sisters was now twiddling her thumbs and nervously rocking back and forth waiting for the car to arrive. She couldn't help smiling and she knew she must have looked too happy, but that was just it- She _was_ too happy. No surprise vanquishes had came along yet and Paige, although happy, was put off by this. In the year she had been a witch she had learned that special occasions in the Halliwell manor _never_ went according to plan.

Paige gripped her father's arm tightly as she heard the bagpipes start to play. She watched her eleven year old cousin leave through the large oak doors and laughed nervously to herself.

As hertime came to walk through the doors, afraid that if she looked at any of the wedding guests she'd burst out laughing, she kept her focus on Mark who was waiting at the end of the aisle with his brother Douglas. She could hear Piper and Phoebe's happy sobs coming from behind her and muttered "_sisters_" under her breath. When she reached the alter she turned to her father, who gave her a quick peck on the cheek before sitting on the front pew next to his dead lover (lol!). Paige turned her focus back to Mark who was smiling his adoreable, crooked smile and she realised why they said weddings were the happiest day of your life.

Before they knew it, Paige and Mark had exchanged vows. They were almost 'husband and wife' when the small glint of doubt Paige had in the pit of her stomach turned into a very large spark of anger.

"If anyone objects to this union, speak now or forever hold your peace." The minister said.

"Well, I suppose wanting the charmed ones dead is an objection." A loud, dark, rasping voice came from the back of the church.

Piper immediately froze the room as she turned and saw a tall muscular demon with a completely black face and yellow eyes burst through the large oak doors. She hesitated for a moment, realising that only a small minority of guests on Mark's side of the church had frozen, before attempting to blow up the remarkably ugly demon.

"Damn it!" She screeched as she realised the demon must be immune to her powers.

The demon was now making his way down the aisle. His long green cloak swept behind him as his mammoth steps brought him closer and closer to Paige and Mark.

Everyone sat, almost in a trance as the demon walked past them. Phoebe had now raised from her seat was standing on the pew next to Piper.

"Urgh!" She yelled, "Well, you're all witches! Do something!"

At this comment the unfrozen guests all got to their feet. The demon did not look in the slightest bit shocked that most of the gusts were witches. He barely even flinched as the ones with active powers took turns in trying to hurt him.

"You think the puny powers of mere witches are enough to stop Decron?" He said, flashing an evil smile, still heading straight towards Paige and Mark.

"How about the power of kick boxing!" Came Phoebe's voice as she levitated into the air and threw a kick at Decron's black face.

Paige stood stunned; the anger was spreading though he body like water through a sponge.

"Why the _HELL_ couldn't my wedding just be NORMAL!" she screamed.

Mark looked at Paige who was now, for some unknown reason, lifting up her skirt. He suddenly realised that she had an athame stuck into the top of her stockings and couldn't help but laugh.

"What are you laughing at?" Decron asked, frustrated. He was back on his feet after recovering from the blast he had received from Phoebe. An energy ball appeared in his hand and he prepared to throw it at Mark, but he was caught off guard by Rose Anderson who extinguished it with her ice powers.

Paige took a deep breath and threw the athame straight into Decron's left eye. He howled in pain as he fell to the floor.

"You will pay for that halfbreed!" he growled.

This time a fireball appeared in his hand and before anyone could intercept it he aimed directly at Paige.

Mark watched as it headed straight towards Paige. It almost hit her in the stomach when he quickly sent a large bolt of electricity towards it, redirecting it back at the demon. It hit him hard on the chest but did not cause much damage.

No one was paying any attention to Decron now as they all turned to see if Paige was okay. She stared venomously at the demon and spat at him "You better be _so_ grateful that did not scorch my dress!"

Decron glared at her through his one healthy eye, blood streaming down his face and hissed back "No, you better be grateful for your sorry ass demon hunter!"

Before anyone had time to attack again Decron flamed out.

Mark embraced Paige in his arms and once again took his position in the alter. He stared at the startled wedding guests and remarked sarcastically "Well, come on people! Places! There is still the small matter of us getting married to deal with."

The wedding guests uttered a laugh and slowly got back to their seats. Once they were sure everything was the same as it had been before the attack they listened carefully to Piper's instructions.

"Just pretend like nothing happened, and if anyone asks who or what objected tell them they are hearing things." After she made sure everyone understood she took her seat and calmly unfroze the room.

The Minister looked up confused, wondering where the mysterious voice had come from and a sideways glance from the bride told him he was going slightly mad... He stuttered slightly as he announced the couple husband and wife, but decided no one else had heard the voice.

"You guys seriously can't have normal weddings." Whispered a very confused Darryl at the back of the church.

-

Startled as the wedding guests had been, they took the attack as a regular occurrence in the life of the charmed ones. Mark, Phoebe and Piper still teased Paige for bringing an athame to her wedding two months after it happened, but unfortunately Decron was not in the book of shadows and the Elders knew little about him.

Piper, who was now three days away from her due date, was occupying herself by baking cookies for her youngest sister who had requested them earlier that day.

"Leo!" She screamed as she grabbed her abdomen in pain, feeling water trickle down her leg.

"What is it honey?" a male voice replied, but it wasn't Leo. Piper turned to see a worried looking Cole rush towards her.

She cocked an eyebrow and replied with a false smile "What the hell do you think it is! I'm nine months pregnant and surrounded by a puddle of water- Just want Leo to run to the store and buy me a popsicle!"

Once again she recoiled in pain and yelled for her husband. Almost immediately Leo answered his wife's distraught cry. He looked from Cole, who was slowly ushering Piper to the couch in the living room, to his wife, who was taking very sharp breaths. He rushed to his wife's side and grabbed her hands.

"Is it time honey?" he asked stroking her hair, but was met by the same look of disbelief as Cole.

"Someone call my sisters!" She demanded as Cole and Leo helped her lay on the couch.

Cole met her demand and five long minutes later Paige orbed in with Phoebe by her side. Paige made her way straight to her sister's side, but Phoebe stopped and smiled slyly at Paige.

"Wait Paige! You haven't got your athame!"Paige ignored the comment whilst Piper stifled a small laugh between screams of pain.

"It's okay honey, breath." Leo told her.

Two hours later, the baby was almost in the open world. Leo, who was holding his wife's hand, was standing behind Piper watching a magnificently calm Phoebe deliver his baby. Cole was rushing back and forth from the kitchen every so often to get things at Piper's request. Paige was standing at Piper's left hand side, holding her sister's hand, every so often cringing and Mark, not knowing what to do, stood behind Paige muttering words of encouragement to his sister-in-law.

"She's got a head!" Phoebe screamed, grinning.

"Well thank god for that!" Paige replied sarcastically before receiving a 'shut up' look from Piper. "Sorry..." she mumbled.

"Just one more push," Phoebe told her older sister.

"I can't," came her exhausted reply.

"Come on honey, you can do it, one more _big_ push." Leo said, squeezing Piper's hand in encouragement.

With one more howl of pain and a sigh of relief from the mother, the newest member of the Halliwell family came into the world screaming.

"I know you already know but, it's a girl!" Phoebe laughed, wrapping her niece in the blankets Cole had brought through, and passing the baby to Piper.

Piper and Leo stared at their daughter, both of their smiles bright enough to light up the whole of San Francisco. Tears of joy streamed down their face as the baby girl looked sleepily up at her parents.

"Hey there Prudence." Piper babbled. "Is that your name? Is it? Yes it is. Yes it is!"

"Your auntie Prue would be proud," cooed Leo

"What about her last name?" asked Mark, who was now making faces at his niece.

"Halliwell-Wyatt," Piper and Leo replied and unison and Piper continued "Prudence Louise Halliwell-Wyatt."

Half an hour passed and everyone was still gathered in the living room. Piper had refused to move to her room because it was "too far away, even to orb" so Leo had orbed the crib downstairs. Prue was now sleeping and each of the Manor's residents was taking it in turns to admire the snoozing little girl.

"How are you feeling?" Phoebe asked

"Happy," Piper told her, she was still grinning "But tired... and sore..."

"Yeah." sighed Paige "That's the only part I'm not looking foreword to." She added before turning and burying her blushing face in mark's side.

It took a moment for Piper to take in what her 'baby sister' had just said when she looked up, slightly shocked. "Are you... pregnant?" she asked.

Paige finally took her face out from underneath Mark's arm and nodded shyly. A lot of hugging and squealing from the sisters followed, causing Prudence to stir.

"Sorry." Paige apologised

"It's okay," Piper told her, picking up and turning her attention to her daughter. "You're just perfect aren't you sweetie?"

"She sure is." Leo said stroking Prue's cheek with his index finger.

"Well, she is half whitelighter- Just like me!" Paige said arrogantly "Created in heaven for use on earth..."

Hope you like it :S please RR! Please….


	2. Bye Bye Belthazor

_Disclaimer- I do not own charmed! _

Thanks for your reviews! I hope to update at least once a week but I'm only up to around Chapter 8 so it might fall behind if I post too often!

I know it seems a bit Paige centred at the moment, but that will change! I am a big Piper fan, so her time to sine will come soon hopefully! And I may even be so kind as to give Feeble…I mean Phoebe a subplot (Just encase you're wondering, I am in the process of writing one. Much to my disgust! Teehee!)

S.Halliwell24- I liked the bit with Paige and the athame too. It seemed so right for Paige's character!

And for the Phoebe/Cole fans- watch out for chap7! You will not like it! :p

AN- This takes place four months after chap1.

**Chapter 2- Bye Bye Belthazor.**

"Shh baby" An exhausted Piper whispered to her four-month-old daughter. The bags under Piper's chocolate brown eyes were now a permanent feature on her pretty face. "Please let Mommy get some sleep..."

As Piper continued to shuffle up and down her bedroom with baby Prudence cradled in her arms, the baby's eldest auntie popped her head round the door with a distant look on her face.

"I'm sorry, did we wake you?" Piper asked, slowly lowering Prue into the crib.

Phoebe just looked at her elder sister smugly and replied "Honey, I haven't even been to sleep yet..."

It took a while for it to register that Cole had, once again, spent the night. She let out a small giggle as to how slow her exhaustion was making her. "Does Cole not actually have his own apartment?" she asked intending to sound sarcastic but instead sounding angry.

Phoebe stared at her sister through large, brown, puppy dog eyes and replied in her most irritating baby voice "I'm sowee."

"What have you done now?" Came Paige's sarcastic remark from the door of Piper's room. Piper and Phoebe turned to see their younger sister beaming at them, her arms enveloping her gradually expanding stomach.

"You know they really shouldn't call it morning sickness. Maybe hurling your guts out every time someone mentions food' is a more appropriate name! And that whole thing about it going away? Not happening!" She sighed as she joined her sisters on the unmade double bed, Her long brown hair sweeping her face as she turned to look at her dosing niece. Her sisters laughed sympathetically at her comment and pulled her into a hug.

Paige had never seen herself as the mothering sort. Growing up she had always said she was going to wait until she was at least forty to even try for a baby, but here she was, happier than she had ever been. Of course, living with her sisters, brother-in-law and niece weren't her ideal living arrangements but since they had converted the basement into an apartment for Mark and she to live in, she wasn't really that bothered.

She looked around the room. Everything was so peaceful. In the Halliwell manor this was a very rare occasion so Paige breathed deeply savouring the moment knowing that upon Leo's return there would inevitably be another demon to vanquish. Three demons had attacked at dinner. Piper had, of course, blown them up but Leo had gone to check with the elders about the athame they left behind after finding nothing about it in the Book of Shadows. The constant demon attacks were the only thing that worried Paige. How was she going to raise such an innocent a child in a world full of evil- And they still hadn't vanquished Decron. She tried to convince herself that it wouldn't stop her raising a perfectly healthy baby by thinking of Mark. Having a demon-hunting witch as a father and a witch/whitelighter for a mother was going to make this baby very powerful. She then looked at baby Prudence and realised if Piper and Leo could do it so could she and Mark.

The silence was broken, as was Paige's chain of thought, by Prue cooing in her sleep. Phoebe and Paige let out synchronised "Awwwws", to which Piper responded "You try awwing at that when it keeps you up eighteen hours a day."

Phoebe gave Piper a look and then eyed Paige, as if to say, "shut up or you'll put her off."

Piper just smiled and said reassuringly "Don't worry Paige, I'm sure no other baby is as restless as Prue." As Paige smiled to her sister, Piper continued, "Come to think of it, now that she's a sleep, I should be to."

Phoebe took Paige by the hand and they left Piper's room, letting her get some well earned rest. As they stood in the dimly lit corridor Phoebe put her hand on Paige's stomach and asked "So how's my other favourite niece doing? Is Mommy still being grumpy? Yes she is, yes she is,"

Paige looked at her sister; one eyebrow raised and said "If you want to use my stomach as a petting zoo and babble to it, make sure you're being nice about mommy or mommy will shove the rattle you gave her up your ass..."

Phoebe knew Paige was being sarcastic but took the hint. She sighed and looked at the small bump emerging in her younger sisters stomach. "I want one..." She said, in a tone that reminded Paige of a five year old looking through a toy catalogue.

"Oh you do, do you?" Cole asked menacingly, hugging phoebe round the waist from behind, "well I'm sure you've had plenty practice tonight..."

Paige looked on smiling, longing for Mark to get back from his demon hunt. As if by magic her wish was granted by a loud bang and a yell from the attic. Paige, Cole and Phoebe exchanged worried glances and headed straight towards the attic stairs.

"Damn darklighters!" Came Mark's voice from the old loveseat. Leo was lying on the ground clutching his side, from where and arrow emerged. Mark signalled towards a darklighter who was now unconscious in the corner of the room.

"Oh Crap" Gasped Piper when she eventually squeezed past her sisters and Cole to get to the door.

Cole had immediately gone to Leo's aid, pulling out the arrow and lifting him onto the worn old couch. Phoebe, thinking on her feet as usual, ran straight to the crystals to encircle the darklighter. Piper had run to her husband's side with tears welling in her eyes. Trying to count the endless number of times her husband had been in this situation and survived didn't help to comfort her. Paige on the other hand took one look at the huge gash on Mark's back and felt the need to throw up. Unsure of whether or not it was pregnancy sickness or utter bewilderment that caused it, she headed straight back downstairs to the bathroom.

After the commotion had died down a little, Paige reappeared at the door. Phoebe and Cole had managed to bandage Marks wound. Piper was sitting with Leo and baby Prue on the sofa waiting for Paige so she could heal him. Paige looked around. Everyone she cared about in one room, but the sight wasn't a happy one. Her troubled thoughts of not being able to raise a baby in the Halliwell manor returned to her. Maybe having demon hunting witches for parents was going to cause problems rather than solve them. She shook her head and tried incredibly hard to hide her worried expression as she walked over to a very pale Leo. She took his hands and, quicker than anticipated, healed his wound. As soon as she had done this she kneeled next to her husband and amazingly healed his, without the help of Leo.

Everyone was staring at Paige. She had never shown any sign of being able to heal before. Only, with the help of Leo, had she managed on two occasions. She stared into Mark's mysterious blue eyes and blew her fringe out of her own. "Looks like little miss Anderson here is more powerful than we thought." She said as Mark put his hand on Paige's stomach.

Piper was a little shocked at how she suddenly felt towards her half sister. A sudden brush of envy was sweeping over her. Prue had never shown signs of power inside the womb and only now, at four months, was she starting to orb her pacifier from the floor to her mouth. For only a brief moment she caught Leo's eye but as always, he was able to read her like a book.

"Honey, just because Prue couldn't heal from the womb doesn't make her weak. Besides, it's probably the baby's power combined with Paige's power that did it. And just the other day Prue managed to orb the TV control from Phoebe when she was about to put on that dreadful aerobics channel." he said quietly, suppressing a small laugh.

This made Piper feel slightly better. Although she wasn't worried about Prue being weak, she had just thought that since Paige's baby was only going to be a quarter whitelighter it made sense for Prue to be stronger.

The thoughts of both baby Prue, and Paige's unborn child were soon washed away by the sudden howl from the corner. The darklighter had obviously tried to orb out as he was now in a heap on the floor. Phoebe was the first to notice that he wore the same symbol around his neck as the one they had discovered on the demon's athame.

"Who sent you?" She demanded.

The darklighter however, paid no attention whatsoever to Phoebe and kept his eyes fixed on Cole.

"Belthazor," he sneered, "I trust this is your witch?" He nudged his head towards Phoebe and grinned evilly.

"Don't call me that" Snapped Cole, "He isn't part of me any more."

"Oh, believe me I know. How do you think I injured your friend over there?" He indicated to Mark with his hands "A fireball. Where do you think your powers went after your precious witch stripped them? They don't just disappear into oblivion. I absorbed your powers Belthazor! I did wonder why you had given them up when I realised just how powerful they were, but I'm not going to complain. Although, your nature will never change: Once a demon, always a demon."

Cole looked disgusted. The darklighter seemed to think Cole was still evil. Putting this thought to the back of his head he decided to play along with the darklighter's suggestion. "You're right. So if you'd kindly tell us who sent you, I won't vanquish your sorry ass and send you back to hell."

At this comment the Darklighter's smug expression turned to one of fear. Piper, noticing this, let out a small giggle, turning the fear into confusion. Even as the darklighter rose to his feet, Cole towered over him. He moved as far to the back of the crystal cage a he could without being electrocuted and began to whimper. Now the Halliwell sisters were the ones who were confused. Why on earth (or hell) would a darklighter be scared of a powerless demon? Seeing this as an advantage they just stood back and watched in amusement.

Mark, who was now on his feet, standing at an impressive six foot four inches, moved slowly towards the cage "Pathetic." he spat. Piper, Paige, Phoebe and Leo continued to watch, struggling to hold back their laughter as the two men stood, reducing the supposedly powerful darklighter almost to tears.

"You call yourself a demon?" Mark asked spitefully

"I asked who sent you." Said Cole, once again sending a look of sheer terror onto the face of the darklighter.

"Decron." Whined the pathetic excuse for evil. "He's set up a gang of demons and warlocks to come after the charmed ones and their babies. He knows the only way to get to them is through their family, that's why I came after the whitelighter and the hunter. He wants the children and he says that they may be more powerful than the charmed ones themselves. I promise I didn't want to help him. I'm only powerful because of your power… please spare me."

As he finished pleading an eerie silence had filled the room. For the first time in a long time the charmed ones were actually enjoying a vanquish- if you could call it a vanquish. But as the news of Decron's plan settled in, both Leo and Mark became very protective of their wives and children, pulling them into tight hugs.

"Okay, now I'll keep my end of the bargain, I won't vanquish you." Cole was grinning. He was enjoying watching evil suffer- an evil which had once engrossed his whole body. "Ladies..."

Phoebe knew what she had to do. She crossed the attic to a small box in the opposite corner. She took the necklace she was wearing off over her head to reveal a small silver key. With this key she opened the box and took out a potion vile with thin green liquid in it. It was the Belthazor vanquishing potion Cole had made her keep, just encase he somehow got his powers back and endangered the family.

Cole was smiling wryly. He watched the woman he loved throw the potion vile at the darklighter and the sound of the Power of Three chant rung in his ears like a melody. Finally the part of his history he didn't want to remember was gone. In a matter of seconds, Belthazor's powers had been demolished. They were never coming back and now, he hoped, Phoebe would marry him.

(AN-don't mind while I hurl! Cole WILL be mine!!!!)

As the residents of the Halliwell Manor began to clean up the fresh mess in the attic Piper and Paige held back tears of worry and anguish. A demon they knew nothing about, except that he was powerful enough to gather demonic followers, was after their babies. Piper refused to leave Prue by herself for a moment and Paige jut sat in silence, watching her family fuss over small messes on the floor.

Cole couldn't help feeling happy. He had picked up Phoebe and spun her around, the words "will you marry me?" on the tip of his tongue. but no matter how much he wanted to ask her, he just couldn't bring himself to say it. As he stared at the people he now considered as family he was overcome by guilt. Leo was holding his daughter close to his heart. The look of worry on his face was enough to bring a tear to Cole's eye. He quickly brushed it away, pretending to have an itch and turned to look at Piper. She was doing what she always did when things got too much for her: cleaning. Mark, Cole noticed, had joined Piper in her pointless cleaning spree when suddenly Paige let out a frustrated cry.

The thoughts she had been bottling up since she had discovered she was pregnant had suddenly become too much for her. If her unborn child was going to be under a constant threat she didn't want to bring it into the world.

"I can't do this!" She Screamed. "No child deserves this! What sort of life is my daughter going to lead if she is constantly being attacked by demons!" She stared around the room through tears and kicked the stand where the Book Of Shadows resided, sending it flying towards Phoebe.

"Paige..." Piper started

"Piper! Nothing you can say is going to change my mind. I don't want this baby if she is going to suffer for her whole life!"

Mark made an attempt to comfort his wife by placing his arm around her middle but she pushed it away. She charged out of the attic, slamming the door as she left.

Everyone listened to Paige's sobs as she stormed through the house to the basement where they heard her let out an incredibly loud scream of anger. Phoebe and Piper had only known their sister for a year, but in that time had learned that when she was upset she needed to be left Alone. Mark on the other hand had chased after Paige.

Mark didn't return to the attic for the next half an hour. When he did his eyes were puffy and his cheekbones tearstained. Paige's outburst had completely unnerved everyone. Leo, not knowing what to say or do had gone to tell the elders what they had found out, thus irritating his wife beyond belief. Piper, after hearing Paige's distressed thoughts was questioning the safety of Prue. Phoebe on the other hand was beating herself up about not realising how much bottled up emotion her younger sister had and Cole pondered over whether or not to make tea- it always seemed to calm everyone down when Piper did it...

"She orbed out... I don't know where she's gone." Mark told everyone.

Phoebe and Piper both immediately looked up at the ceiling, calling "Leo!" He orbed in moments later, poised and ready to fight.

"What? What happened?" He asked worriedly.

Piper scowled at him and then asked almost too calmly "We need you to sense Paige, she orbed out."

Leo breathed a sigh of relief. He had thought another demon was attacking the sisters. He slowly closed his eyes and concentrated hard on finding Paige. "She'll be okay." He told them. "She's with Sam."

This calmed everyone down slightly. Sam was a whitelighter, Paige's father- nothing too bad could happen if she was with him.

Mark sat on the sofa and looked at the floor trying to avoid everyone's gazes. He had a worried feeling that they might all blame him for his wife's outburst. His long, dark, curly hair fell over his face and his strong masculine physique looked unusually weak.

Phoebe put a comforting hand on his shoulder and told him "She'll come around. I mean, she didn't handle being a witch well to start with and look at her now: she's like a super-witch. I think it was just a shock to her system… to everyone's system. Just give her time. You can talk to her tomorrow."

Phoebe wasn't even sure if Paige would be home tomorrow. She wasn't sure if anything she had said was true, but she had to try and do something to calm him down. Her middle sister instincts were kicking in and she actually liked being the voice of reason for a change. Trying to think of something to take everyone's minds off the situation, she asked Mark "How did the darklighter get here in the first place?"

It suddenly dawned on Leo and Mark that they hadn't told anyone of the incident which had led them to the attic. They both started to explain...

Earlier that night

Mark was sitting on the kitchen counter, as his wife explained what each potion she was giving him was. "The red ones are the scalding potions, the yellows are exploding potions, the green are blinding potions- encase of warlocks- and the blue ones should vanquish your basic, lower level demons..."

Mark wasn't paying any attention to what she was saying. He was just staring at her, realising just how beautiful she was. He leaned foreword to kiss her but she pulled away.

"I have garlic breath! We had pizza for dinner!" She giggled.

"Well, at least let me kiss my little guy goodbye." he said, lowering himself so that he could kiss Paige's stomach.

"You mean your little _girl_, we have girls in this family," Paige told him smiling, "you better get going, it's already eleven thirty. The sooner you leave, the sooner you can come home and the less I will worry."

"I'm sorry I have to go out this late sweetheart." he said apologetically, "it's just that demons tend to come out more at night. And my family has been all boys for years! That's how the Nauctater gene gets passed."

"Well Spanky, (AN-the nickname will be explained later!) I know I'm having a girl. It's just a feeling."

"And when are you ever wrong? That's why I love you!" Mark hugged her and departed. Just as he was about to reach the front door a familiar set of blue and white lights orbed beside him. Leo laughed at the sight of Mark; a tall, muscular man, carrying a small, purple satchel.

"Don't laugh!" Mark said half heartedly, knowing how stupid he must look. "Paige is paranoid about me getting hurt and she's given me about a thousand potions to take with me!"

"Sorry. It's just, well, you look like you're going to pre-school or something!" Leo laughed.

Mark promptly changed the subject. "So what did the elders tell you?"

"Oh. They think the symbol belongs to group of demons called the Nasus Tribe. Most of them should be lower level demons and warlocks, but apparently there are a few very powerful beings leading them." Leo explained

"Whaddaya mean beings?"

"Well, they're unsure of what they are but if I were to take a wild guess I'd say they were upper level demons." At this point Leo lowered his voice. "A bit like, erm… Belthazor."

Mark looked from Leo to the living room where Cole was sitting with baby Prue in his lap. He let out a small laugh wondering how Cole could ever have been evil. "Well, I suppose I should be going. Any idea where this Nasus Tribe is hiding?" He asked, planning to go looking for them.

"Woah! You can't just get rid of them yourself." Leo knew perfectly well that Mark could probably take out three upper level demons by himself but didn't like the idea of him going alone. "I'll just call the girls...Phoe-"

"No." Mark interrupted "Piper's exhausted and Paige won't be any use if she keeps throwing up everywhere. Just let me go. I can handle it. Where are they? You'll have to orb me to the underworld."

Leo, seeing Marks point of view, eventually agreed. "Okay. They aren't actually in the underworld. They are hiding in that old warehouse down by the docks. You know the one where those fishermen were murdered a few years back?"

Mark had no idea what Leo was talking about. He had been living in Aberdeen, Scotland up until two years ago. "Erm, no idea mate!" He said blankly.

"That's okay. I'm still not letting you go by yourself. I'm coming with you." Leo said, to which Mark had no objections. "As long as I don't have to wear a satchel." He added, smiling.

When the two men arrived in the dockyards everything seemed normal. The smell of fish and the cries of seagulls filled the air and there were a few dodgy looking men standing on an old boat. Thankfully, they hadn't noticed the orbing strangers.

Leo led Mark to a huge abandoned warehouse._ It seems like a perfectly normal abandoned warehouse to me_, Mark thought to himself, _whatever that is..._

"It's quiet," he said, mocking the explorer he had watched in a film the previous night, "too quiet."

"Yeah, you know when they say that in movies something bad always happens." Leo informed him.

Unfortunately, Leo was correct. As the words left his lips a warlock had blinked in behind them. Luckily, Leo had sensed him just as he was preparing to throw an energy ball straight into Mark's back.

"Behind you!" Leo yelled.

Mark, who was very quick on his feet, turned round to face the warlock sending him flying into the side of the warehouse with an electric blast. This gave Mark enough time to pull out one of the yellow potion vials from his satchel. "_The yellows are exploding potions_" he remembered Paige saying as he threw it straight at the warlock. To his pleasant surprise this had vanquished their adversary.

Leo and Mark hoped they hadn't drawn too much attention to themselves and hurried towards the warehouse. The moment they stepped inside they strongly regretted their decision. Everywhere they looked they saw either demons or warlocks- at least sixty. Leo grabbed a handful of potions from the open satchel, unaware of what any of them were used for and Mark made a dash for the athame he always had tucked under is belt when he was demon hunting.

"A couple of demon hunters!" One of the demons said laughing. His face was a muddy green colour and looked strangely as though it had been melted at one side. "And we were expecting the charmed ones!"

"Sorry mate," Mark mocked, "You get one better."

"Yeah," Leo agreed, unsure of where witty comments were going to get them. "You get their husbands!"

The huge room filled with shrieks, cackles and grunts of laughter. Leo and Mark shared worried glances- the demons were prepared for an attack. How had anyone known they were coming?

Mark cursed loudly as he turned and realised a large amount of demons and warlocks had shimmered or blinked behind them. Leo was prepared to orb out but didn't want to risk being followed back to the manor. He followed Mark's lead and started randomly attacking anyone and anything he could see.

Mark, being used to fighting, was making it look easy. He threw a high kick at the demon with half a melted face and proceeded to kill him with his athame. He dodged what seemed like a hundred energy balls by swinging down to the floor in an almost break-dancing style, allowing the demons and warlocks to vanquish each other. At this point it was lucky for Leo that he was able to orb. Leo was continuing to randomly throw potions from the satchel. He made a mental not to thank Paige when they returned home.

Miraculously, after an hour and a half of fighting, both Mark and Leo had managed to vanquish a majority of the evil creatures in the room without being seriously injured. Of course, the only reason half of the demons were gone was because when Leo had been throwing the satchel to Mark it had been hit by a fireball, sending a combination of very powerful potions all over the room. "And I was just starting to like that thing," Mark had joked before turning back to kicking serious demon ass.

Some of the remaining demons looked apprehensive. "Maybe we'd have been better off with the charmed ones." Leo heard a darklighter say. He was thankful that the darklighter had not noticed his orbing power or, he feared, he could have been killed.

Mark was still ready for action when he let out a howl of agony. The apprehensive darklighter had thrown a fireball straight at his back, causing him to go tumbling to the floor. Leo knew he couldn't use his healing power in front of the darklighter or he may be in Mark's position too. He ran over to his friend, grabbed him by the hand and orbed out.

"That's when we arrived here." Leo explained "And that creep shot me."

Mark had let Leo do most of the talking. His thoughts were still focused on Paige. All he wanted to do was hold her in his arms and reassure her that everything would be okay. He knew deep down that it wasn't okay. He had been suffering the same thoughts as Paige, although not quite to her extent. He was confident that they were both entirely capable of raising a child but the news of Decron's plan had made him doubt it for a brief moment. Luckily he was good at hiding his emotions but was finding it hard, so as the rest of the group conversed about the Nasus tribe he quietly slipped out of the room.

Hope you like it! Please R&R! :p

Laur xXx


	3. A Shortcut to Mushrooms

**Chapter 3- A shortcut to mushrooms**

Disclaimer- I don't own charmed!

Once again, thanks for the reviews! (Some1 said 'wow" to my story and it hasn't even got interesting yet! Whoot! And to answer Jackie67's question, after Paige's baby, there will be 6 more kids.) By the way, the title for this chapter has nothing to do with its contents, but I couldn't think of anything creative so I borrowed one from LOTR! This chapter kind of continues from the last chapter, but will skip ahead in the middle.

Happy New Year! And may the Power of Cheese guide you! Please R&R…

PS. Season 7 of charmed starts here on Thursday! YAY!

PPS. On a more serious not, I send my condolences to all those who have been effected by last weeks tsunami.

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Paige sat on the camp bed in her father's dusty old apartment. She stared blankly around the room and kicked the dust off the floor wondering why Sam still had an apartment, as he was, for lack of a better term, dead.

Her father, Sam, was standing in the doorway of the scrawny bedroom watching Paige stare into space. He noticed her resemblance to Patty more now, than he had ever noticed it before. The moon was shining in through the window illuminating her pale skin, giving her a radiant beauty. He thought of everything his daughter had told him when she'd arrived; Of Decron's evil plan to go after her family and more importantly her baby; of her outburst in the attic; of her worried thoughts of raising a child in an evil-filled world and of how she didn't want the baby.

"You're more like your mother than you'll ever know," he told her reassuringly.

Paige wondered what relevance this had to anything she had just told him, but it strangely calmed her down. "In what way?" she asked before she could stop herself. She had never known her mother and Sam was the only person she knew who liked to talk about her.

"When she was pregnant with Prudence she didn't want to bring a baby into a world full of demons and warlocks." He had now moved across the room and was sitting next to his daughter on the camp bed.

"Really?" Paige replied, "I always thought that she wouldn't be scared of anything. I suppose that was wishful thinking. I just had this idea of Wonder Woman..."

Sam laughed. Patty certainly was Wonder Woman to him. He hugged his daughter and kissed her hair, almost the same way he had done before giving her up as a baby. "Everything will be okay, just like it was with your sister." He told her

"Yeah, but Prue didn't have a zillion demonic cults on her tail, did she?" Paige asked. Somehow it felt wrong to be questioning her father's judgement. His presence was so oddly calming.

Sam didn't know what to say to Paige's last comment. Of course Prue hadn't had demons her tail, not at least until it was proven she was a charmed one, but he just wanted his daughter to know it would all be okay. The pair sat in silence until Paige fell asleep in her father's arms. Sam slowly and silently left her to sleep.

Paige awoke early the next morning, unsure of what she had been dreaming about. All she could remember was the clear image of her mother's smiling face. As the image drifted away from her Paige closed her eyes tightly trying to hold on to the glimpse of her mother when it suddenly dawned on her. Her mother. Why hadn't she thought of it before? If her mother couldn't help her, who could?

She got up hurriedly brushing her hair and pulling on her fuchsia, turtle neck sweater. She ran through to the couch where Sam was sleeping, kissed him on the cheek and thanked him quietly. Sam was startled by his daughter's kiss but when he had turned to speak to her, he was greeted by the all too familiar lights of her orb.

The Halliwell Manor was enveloped in silence when Paige arrived in the attic. She headed straight to the Book of Shadows, apologising to the book for kicking it the night before. She flicked through the pages, searching for the spell to summon her mother from the dead.

"Aha!" she said triumphantly, "candles, I need candles..." As Paige hurriedly placed a circle of candles on the floor in front of her she heard someone stir on the floor below. She stopped for a second encase whoever it was decided to come up into the attic. When she heard what sounded like Leo's footsteps disappear downstairs, she continued what she had been doing.

"Lets see," she sighed, scrolling her finger down the page in the Book of Shadows.

"Here these words

Hear my cry,

Spirit from the other side

Come to me,

I summon thee

Cross now

The Great Divide."

Paige looked on expectantly; a severe disappointment arrived in her stomach when nothing happened. She had almost started to cry again when she realised, "Damn it! I forgot to light the candles!" When the candles were lit, she stood back; once again, she had butterflies.

"Here these words

Hear my cry,

Spirit from the other side

Come to me,

I summon thee

Cross now

The Great Divide."

Paige spun around in triumph as a large white light appeared in the circle of candles, but when she turned back to face her mother she was greeted by the person she had least expected.

"Prue?" She gasped.

"The one and only." replied her transparent sister. "Well technically not anymore, after Piper's baby was born but..."

Paige gazed into her sister's eyes. "Oh my god!" she squealed "I have to go and get my...our sisters!"

"No." Prue replied sounding quite disappointed "I can't talk to them yet. Not until they can handle seeing me again..." She trailed off with a sniff.

"Oh, okay." Paige was still in a state of utter shock. She was actually speaking to the all-powerful Prue Halliwell that she had heard so much about. She could clearly see a bit of both Piper and Phoebe in her eldest sister and was toying with herself about whether or not she would shout for them. "Rules are made to be broken..." She told Prue.

"Damn right they are!" laughed Prue before turning serious again, "but trust me, Piper and Phoebe won't be able to handle it just yet. It's a miracle I was allowed to come and speak to _you_."

Paige smiled at Prue. There eyes met and Paige saw a little of herself in Prue too. Not knowing what to say Paige sat and twiddled with her thumbs.

"Phoebe does that a lot too y'know?" Prue stated. She knew she was there for a purpose but there was an awkward tension between the two women who occupied the attic.

"Yeah...no offence, but I was kinda expecting Mom." Paige finally said, trying to make conversation. _Yeah right! Way to start a good conversation._ She thought._ I must seem like a complete idiot!_

"Mom seemed to think it would be better for me to come. I don't really know what to say though. I mean, I watched you, erm, voice you opinions last night but I don't think there's anything I can say to help!" Prue told her. _Yeah right! Way to start a good conversation!_ She thought, unaware that her sister had just thought exactly the same thing._ What an idiot!_

Suddenly it dawned on Prue that she had exactly the right advice to give. Something she had told herself a lot when she was alive. "Actually Paige I do have some advice." She said calmly.

Paige was just staring at her sister longingly. Although she had never known Prue, she admired her. She was, brave, beautiful, confident and most of all a good sister. She grinned as Prue continued.

"It may not be much help, but it kept me going when I was a charmed one." She paused to stare at her sister. Ever since she had found out about Paige she had kept a close eye on her. It upset her to a certain extent, that she never got to know her- After all she was her sister, her baby sister... "We all have a destiny and your destiny as a charmed one is to rid the world of evil. No matter how bad things may seem at the time they will always work out for the better because good always triumphs over evil."

Paige tried to take in what her sister was saying. "How can you still believe that when you died trying to fulfil your destiny?" She blurted out and then kicked herself for being so rude.

Surprisingly Prue laughed. "I thought you might ask that. But it _was_ my destiny to die. If there is one thing I learned during my time as a charmed one it's that you can't escape death." Prue said with a smile.

"But how can I be sure my baby's destiny isn't going to lead it to evil," Paige replied, still kicking herself for questioning Prue's advice.

"I'm probably gonna get in serious trouble for telling you this but like you said, rules _are_ made to be broken... Your baby, and Piper's, and eventually Phoebe's are destined for great things in the world of _good_ magic." Prue said with an innocent, yet strangely guilty smile.

"Phoebs and Piper were right, you do kick ass!" Paige said. Prue's words had somehow brushed all the worries out of Paige's mind and Paige had replied with a comment that sounded much better in her head.

"Hell yeah I do!" Prue laughed, "Now I better go before Grams or Mom come and kick _my_ ass for telling you that. Please tell Piper and Phoebe I love them and I'm really sorry..."

Prue's last words trailed off as she disappeared in the same white light which had brought her.

Paige sighed as she realised how hard it must have been for her sisters to lose Prue. She was already missing her eldest sister and they had only spent ten minutes together. Prue's advice had given Paige a huge confidence boost but she still wasn't sure how she was going to face Mark.

Seconds after Prue had disappeared Piper and Phoebe had come rushing into the attic.

"Oh, Paige..." Piper had said. The look of disappointment on her face brought yet another tear to Paige's eye.

"Sorry Paige, it's just, we were sure we heard Prue's laugh coming from up here."

Phoebe's apology seemed a little off to Paige and she wasn't sure how she was going to tell her sisters what had just happened but she turned to them beaming and replied

"Maybe you did..."

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Paige hadn't realise just how hard it was going to be to tell her sisters of her encounter with Prue. She could see their jealousy and couldn't do anything about it. At first Piper found it hart to accept that she wasn't ready to speak to her elder sister until Phoebe persuaded her that Prue wouldn't have said it if she didn't mean it.

Phoebe also found it quite comforting to learn that she was going to have a child. She still hadn't gotten round to telling Cole that she wanted to try for one- _soon, _but he had been withdrawing from her since they had vanquished the darklighter. She felt almost as if they were falling apart from each other and something the darklighter had said kept playing in her mind: once a demon always a demon...

As the days went by baby Prudence was not allowed to be left alone in a room. It comforted Piper to a certain extent that Prue had said her baby was destined to a life of good, but there was a constant nag in the back of her mind that destiny could be swayed. Piper's daughter on the other hand was oblivious to any threat she was under and her powers grew more powerful by the day. Leo swore that he saw her levitate a few inches above her changing mat to allow him to change her diaper. Phoebe was concerned that Prue orbed the TV remote away from her every time she tried to change the channel and Piper's teddy bear would occasionally go missing and end up in the playpen.

Mark hadn't asked Paige what Prue had told her, he was just extremely grateful that Paige was no longer angry and upset. He hadn't interacted with his family much since the night he and Leo single handedly vanquished at least fifty demons. Everyone was worried about him. After all, he was usually their source of entertainment and now he preferred to be alone with Paige. He felt like his pride had been bruised when he hadn't managed to comfort his wife and had the idea that Piper and Phoebe blamed him. It wasn't until the night they revisited the Nasus tribe's warehouse that he started to be himself again.

As the sisters, Cole and Mark approached the warehouse Mark playfully put on a show of 'James Bond rolls' and pretended to shoot Cole in the shoulder. He knew of the danger that lay ahead, but somehow the adrenalin made him act like a small child. However, when they finally reached the abandoned building he became very protective of his pregnant wife. He made sure he was standing in front of her to prevent any sudden attacks when Piper blew of the buildings doors.

Much as they had expected, the remainders of the Nasus tribe still occupied the warehouse. Mark looked around, it did not look the same as the warehouse he had entered five nights before hand. Instead of the large welcoming party, a few demons- eight at the most, were scattered throughout the large, empty room.

Each of the demons had turned to see what had caused the explosion and were shocked, to say the least, at the sight that met their eyes. Mark was standing defensively in front of Paige, an athame ready in his hands; Piper, who had been leading the group, stood with her hands poised and ready to freeze or blow up any demon in her path; Phoebe stood behind Piper, with her arms out in front of her, looking almost like someone out of an old kong-fu movie. Cole, on the other hand, just stood normally with his hands in his pockets as though looking for demons was the same as going to buy groceries and Paige was just plain irritated at her husband.

One of the demons- a bald, scrawny looking thing with a snake like face and a triangle carved into his left temple- came charging towards the group of unlikely heroes. Piper immediately froze him, but he broke through the freeze, spitting a yellow liquid into Pipers face. She screamed in pain before blowing up the demon.

"Piper?" Phoebe gasped running towards her sister.

"It's okay," Piper reassured her. She could feel her face coming up in a large blister, but she was determined to vanquish each and every one of the demons in the room.

"Okay..." Phoebe replied, still not fully convinced. She then ran straight up to one of the other demons, which had frozen and dug an athame into his chest. When she realised that the demon had not vanquished she turned to Mark and yelled "Potion!?"

Leo and Mark had identified some of the demons they remembered in the Book of Shadows allowing the girls to make up the appropriate potions. Phoebe however, had been too slow in asking for the potion as the demon known as Felane burst into flames.

"What can I say?" Paige said smirking "I always had a good aim..."

Phoebe laughed, before turning back and running towards another demon and kicking him hard in the back of the head, sending him flying. "Potion?" She asked turning to Cole, who had memorised how to kill every demon Leo and Mark had recognised.

"Athame." He replied, throwing it across to where the demon lay causing it to burst into disintegrate.

"You guys get all the fun." Phoebe complained with a put on pout.

Once the group had vanquished all eight demons they prepared to leave, but they were met with a familiar, cold voice.

"I told you you'd pay halfbreed." Came the voice of Decron followed by a small scream from Phoebe.

They turned to see Decron, now with only on yellow eye, stick a knife into Phoebe's back. She fell to the floor with a look of terror in her eyes and tried to pull herself across the ground to where Cole was standing but Decron stopped her by placing his foot firmly on the back of her head.

Each of them made to move foreword but immediately stopped, after a warning from Decron. "Move any closer and I'll snap her neck." He turned his attention to Paige and grinned maliciously, "I know you better than you know yourself Paige. I know the way to make you suffer is by killing off your family…one by one…"

Piper let go of the potion vial she had been holding and dropped her eyes to where Phoebe lay. She was going to lose another sister. When Phoebe flinched and her body turned limp Piper thought the worst.

"No!" She screamed as she ran forewords towards Decron.

Paige had obviously been thinking the same as Piper and was running straight towards the large demon. The two sisters, both in tears, had just about reached the spot where Phoebe's limp body was sprawled on the ground when the both gave a gasp of confusion and a sigh of relief.

"You know! That HURT!" Phoebe yelled angrily from behind Decron as she kicked him in between the shoulder blades sending him crashing to the floor before she disappeared in a flash of red light.

What had been Phoebe's limp body now sprang back to life in her sisters' arms. Although she was in pain she smiled. "I astral projected! Hah! An active power!"

Piper's relief was immense when she saw her sister smile, but soon the relief turned to anger when she saw Decron jump to his feet and spring backwards. Cole and Mark had rushed to attack him but had been sent to the ground by a wave of Decron's hand.

"You cannot defeat me!" He growled "Even with your filthy halfbreed sister!"

"What's Paige got to do with it?" Mark asked as angrily as he could manage, his mind still on Paige.

"What's Paige got to do with this?" Decron mocked, "She's got everything to do with it! My brother thought he had destroyed The Charmed Ones but then _she_ came along and destroyed him! You may have managed to vanquish Shax, and even the source, but I know more about you than you realise. Watch your backs- especially you halfbreed!" When he finished his eye rested on Paige, the hatred towards her evident. Piper was sure she had seen him smile when his eye met Paige's 'bump' before he shimmered out.

Putting this thought to the back of her mind for now, knowing she would have to tell Paige later, she continued to hug Phoebe as her other sister healed her burn.

"I thought I'd lost you..." Piper trailed off with a sob.

"I have another active power!" Phoebe squealed, after Paige, with the help of 'bump', healed her.

"So you showed us," said Cole. He picked her up of the floor, the words "will you marry me?" once again on the tip of his tongue. Before he could muster enough courage to ask Phoebe the question Mark interrupted him.

"Sweetheart, don't worry... we wont let him near our baby. We can vanquish him just like every other demon who threatens you."

"Did you see the look on his face? He's more than just an average demon." Paige sobbed as she buried her face in Mark's torn shirt.

AN- You like? Please Review!

From now on I think I'll update every Sunday.


	4. A goodbye, A hello

****Disclaimer-I do not own charmed

Thank you for reviewing! I

Wyatt333- I was sooo chuffed that I got a review from one of my favourite authors! Yay you!

Jackie67- I'm so glad sum1 commented on Mark! & Thanks for your compliments!

:D This chapter is a lot shorter than my others but it is just as eventful! When I said before that Phoebe/Cole fans would not like chapter seven, it's now chapter six after a lot of editing! And I have very probably got my baby time line (in the sense of when they can walk & talk etc) all wrong in later chapters! But hey, I'm only fifteen & I don't plan on having a baby any time soon!

I know I said I'd only update on Sundays but this is my celebration of Season seven starting in the UK tonight! YAY!

May the power of cheese guide you…all the way to the review button at the bottom of the screen! Teehee!

Princess Laur xXx

**Chapter 4- A goodbye and a hello**

Paige quickly got over her worry again- this time after words of advice from Piper. She was now seven months pregnant and it was very evident. Decron had not been mentioned for a while and they still knew very little about him. Prue now had full control of her orbing power but her levitating power was another story. Twice she had to be brought down from the roof of the nursery. Piper and Leo were worried that her powers were progressing too quickly and kept bickering about whether or not to bind them. Mark still went demon hunting on a regular basis, but he would never leave Paige unaccompanied and Phoebe was preparing to move out to Cole's apartment.

"I can't believe you're actually leaving." Piper sniffed.

She hugged her sister as the two reminisced in memories of old and new. Phoebe's eyes were also red and puffy but she wore a smile nonetheless.

"Remember that time when we were kids- I must have been about seven, and I ran away from home with a pillow case full of teddy bears! You and Prue got in so much trouble for letting me leave."

"Yeah." said Piper with a smile "I told you that you were never leaving home again 'cause I'd get grounded! Please don't can live here! I don't mind." Piper knew it was inevitably going to happen but the idea of one of her sisters moving out made her feel strange.

Phoebe laughed at the thought of Cole living with her sisters "Yeah, but I think he would!"

As Phoebe got up to go to the bathroom, Paige entered the kitchen from the basement.

"Piper!" She said loudly so that Phoebe could hear her. "I can't believe you're celebrating without me. She's finally gone!" At this comment Phoebe came pounding back into the living room and hit her sister over the head playfully with a pillow. "Ah ah ah!" Said Paige, shaking her finger from side to side. "You wouldn't want 'Bump' to get upset at you for beating up Mommy..."

"So she's still Bump, huh?" Asked Piper who was grabbing a handful of Doritos "Not got a name for her yet?"

Paige shrugged "Well, I was thinking of naming her after someone in the family so I took a look at the list of names in the source vanquishing spell."

"And?"

"I quite like Laura- but I still have to check with Mark."

"Aww that's so cute! What do you think Prue? Do you think your cousin should be Laura?" Piper nodded and Prue, who was sitting in her baby bouncer, imitated her.

That night there were a lot of tears from the Halliwell sisters. More reminiscing about moments they had shared in the manor took place and even Paige, who had only lived in the Manor for a year and a half had her fair share of soppy stories. When they finally headed off to bed each of them had their own separate doubts about Phoebe's leaving.

The morning finally arrived and Phoebe's departure led to even more tears. Everyone stood outside the manor as Cole lugged the last of Phoebe's boxes to the car.

"Geez Phoebe, we're gonna have to have a separate room just for your clothes!" He said, slamming the back door of the blue Audi TT. (AN-Did anyone else notice, the only time someone in charmed ever wears the same outfit twice is when Piper comes back from elder land in season 3 and thinks she had only been gone for a day?)

Phoebe and her sisters were sharing one last goodbye hug and Mark looked on, his screaming niece in his arms. "She's gonna miss her Auntie Phoebe." Mark said as he started to do 'the wiggle', calming down Prue.

"I'm gonna miss her too." sniffed Phoebe, taking Prue out of Marks arms and kissing her on the forehead before handing her to Piper and climbing into the car. She opened the window wide and stuck her head and hand out to wave goodbye for the final time. Although she still had her doubts about Cole, she had decided that moving in would be the best way to put her mind at rest.

As they drove off Paige jumped into the air and shouted in false celebration. "Great! Where's the champagne?"

"Shut up Paige!"

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Two months later and Paige was still pregnant. 'Bump' was three weeks late and Paige was beginning to get bored of being grounded to the Manor. Mark was now only demon hunting once a week in the fear of missing his daughter's birth. Even though Phoebe had moved out, she came back every two days to say 'hi' and check if there had been any demonic activity and Piper, when she wasn't at P3, was still at home looking after Prue.

Paige was alone in the attic looking through the book of shadows- something which had become a regular occurrence over the past month. She was deeply engrossed in a page about a demon catching ice cream man and was laughing loudly when she finally felt her waters brake.

"Mark!" She called out before trying to orb down to her bedroom. "Okay... I can't orb- Mark!" She called out once again before plodding, as quickly as she could manage, to the stairs. "Piper?"

When she finally reached the second floor she knew something was wrong. A crash from downstairs told her that there must be a demon in the house. "Leo!? Sam!?"

Seconds later two clouds of orbs formed in front of Paige. Leo, thinking the shout had been about the demon, ran in the direction of his wife's screams. Sam was about to do the same when he realised the expression on his daughters face.

"Baby..." She said, grabbing onto Sam's shoulder after receiving her first painful contraction. "Get Mark."

Sam, not wanting to leave his daughters side, hesitated before orbing downstairs and coming back with Mark in tow. "It's okay sweetie, Piper's taking care of it." He said, recognising the worried expression on her pale face.

"Decron?" She asked in a sharp intake of breath. Mark nodded. "Sam, get Phoebe!"

Sam orbed out and Mark did his best to manoeuvre Paige to Piper's room. In all the confusion, neither Paige nor Mark noticed Decron appear behind them. It wasn't until Piper and Leo came pounding up the stairs that either sensed danger. Unfortunately, it was too late.

Piper arrived in her bedroom to see Decron aim a large fireball into her little sister's back.

"No!" Mark screamed as Paige went crashing to the floor. He pulled the athame out of his belt and lunged it straight into Decron's stomach.

"Bye Bye Baby!" Decron growled with a twisted smile before once again flaming out.

Everyone crowded round Paige who was still unconscious on the floor. Mark held her in his arms and breathed deeply trying to hold back tears. "Heal her damnit, Leo!" He shouted.

Leo bent over Paige and held his hands over her back. A golden glow was emitted from them and a flustered Paige sat up before breaking down into worried tears.

"There's something wrong with my baby..." She was sobbing uncontrollably and clutching her stomach.

"Leo. Take Paige and Mark to the hospital. NOW!" Piper demanded. Leo did not hesitate.

Somehow (although they weren't sure how), Leo, Mark and a still sobbing Paige arrived in the hospital without being seen. "My wife needs a doctor!" Yelled Mark, slamming his hand down on the reception desk.

What seemed like an age later, Paige was in a hospital bed, Mark by her side to hold her hand while she was delivering her baby. Piper, Phoebe, Sam, Leo, Prue and Cole waited outside the room for five antagonising hours listening to Paige give birth but when the screams stopped their ears were not greeted by the sound of a crying baby. Instead they heard the sound they had been dreading- the sound of a hysterical Paige and Mark.

Paige watched the young, male nurse cut the cord and suddenly more pain than she had ever experienced washed over her as she realised the baby was not making a sound. They carried the small, lifeless child to the opposite side of the miniscule cubical and Paige felt like a million athames had been lunged into her heart at the same time. She leaned onto Mark, her sobs so violent that they hurt. Mark let out a sorrowful cry and electricity sparked from his fingers. He wanted to curl up in a ball and cry, but he stood to support his wife. The tears however, he could not prevent. He had not felt pain so immense as this before. Not even when his father had died.

Suddenly, both parents' heads jerked upwards as they heard a small cry. The hope soared back into their hearts and when they realised that the same male nurse was carrying a whimpering bundle of pink blankets towards them, their tears or remorse turned to ones of happiness.

"Congratulations," the nurse said, "you have a beautiful baby girl." Paige and Mark were not listening to what the nurse said. They were too busy taking in the marvellous sight of their tiny baby girl. She had a head of dark hair and her mother's pale skin and nose. But her eyes were Mark's; the deep midnight blue with hints of aquamarine: the eyes of nobody other than a nauctater.

Phoebe burst into the room to see a tearstained and exhausted Paige hold her baby girl for the first time. Paige was actually smiling for what seemed like the first time since her wedding and Mark too, was grinning more broadly than ever, kissing his daughter's tiny hands. Everyone outside had feared the worst and apparently the residents of cubical 5D had been too, due to the look of relief on the doctor's face.

Everyone wrapped up Mark in a huge group hug, leaving Paige to hold her baby. Paige could not describe the immense feeling of joy that was running through her body. She had been sure they had lost their baby and now and the tiny infant wriggled innocently in her mother's arms, Paige could not stop crying.

"I'm never gonna let you go." Paige whispered, "And that big ol' demon is gonna get his butt kicked by Daddy,"

"He sure is." Mark agreed, kissing Paige and the baby in turn, "And then Daddy is gonna take you out and buy you anything you want."

"I think you'll have to wait at least another ten years before she'll want to go shopping." Piper joked, "But in the mean time, I'm sure the Mommy would enjoy the offer."

"I could sure use a cup of tea…"

"I'm on it!" Cole quipped as he exited the room with Leo to fetch drinks from the vending machines.

"She looks just like you when you were born," Sam said, tearing up over his grandchild, "But her eyes are Mark's"

"They run in the family!" Mark said proudly. His eyes suddenly lit up as if an invisible light bulb was shining above his head and he turned to Paige, "Do you mind if we name her after my mother? The middle name I mean?"

Paige did not hesitate in answering. Her smile was so wide that it was obvious she was in love with the name already, "Laura Rose Anderson…It's perfect."

For now, everyone was happy. The joy of a new baby and the love of her parents was enough to lighten any mood. Any mood, that is, except Decron. As he watched from under his cloak of invisibility, he bubbled with rage. The baby was alive and that meant they were one step closer to vanquishing him. Still, he had plenty time until the third child would come and he was going to stop at nothing! The Andersons were going to suffer.

Another chapter down! You didn't think I'd kill her did you?! And as for the comment about the third child…keep reading to find out! It's gonna be a while until I mention it again!

Please Review. I will be eternally grateful!

Hope you like it!

Laur xXx


	5. Santa Claws

Disclaimer- I do not own Charmed

I know it's a bit late for an Xmas chapter, but I say why can't we be festive all year round? I watched 'A call to Arms' recently and did anyone else notice PAIGE HAD A MOUSTACHE! Anyways…I just read that Julian McMahon will be making a guest appearance in season seven. YAY! Thank you so much for your reviews, they are MUCH appreciated!

Wyatt333- YAY you reviewed again:D thanks! & Your theory on the third child was good but I'm afraid it's not right!

Jackie67- You nearly cried? Cute! (how patronising-lol)

Passions- Thank you!

CharmingCat- Thank you!

Batman-Kicks-Butt- I knew the cheese would! You're not a Phoebe fan either I can see!

I'm back to my usual length of chapters now, but I'm not very pleased with this one. Hmph! Nevertheless, enjoy & Please review!

May the power of Cheese guide you!

Laur xXx

**Chapter5- Santa Claws.**

When Paige and baby Laura Rose Anderson were finally allowed to leave the hospital her sisters seemed almost as exhausted as she was. They had been researching Decron and Shax for the past week and a half and were still none the wiser. Despite the fact they knew Decron was Shax's brother, it was almost as if he had no history. The only information in the book of shadows was his name; no picture, no vanquish, not even an MO. He was, as they knew, very powerful and seemed to know a lot about the Charmed Ones, but even Cole, who had been a demon for a century, had not heard of him. They had wondered why such a powerful demon had kept such a low profile until now and why, other than the fact she had reunited the Charmed ones, did he have such a grudge against Paige?

No matter how many times they tried and how many spells they used, Decron could not be summoned. Paige was still struggling to cope with the fact that he had almost killed her baby and they had no way of even finding out about him. She and Mark were _very_ protective of their daughter and Mark's nauctater instincts mixed with the instincts of a protective father led him to become obsessive about killing demons until Paige had warned him that if he kept at it any longer, Laura would be left without a father. Despite their original queries Paige and Mark both made extremely good parents.

Christmas was vast approaching and since Laura's birth in early March she had already grown into a striking resemblance of her mother- with the exception of her father's mysterious blue eyes. She seemed to have inherited the freezing power of her "Nana" and Auntie Piper. Mark had discovered this after buttons (Laura's bear) had stopped in mid air when falling off the highchair. Due to her parents' unique parenting skills, Laura was a very happy baby.

Prue, now one and a half, was beginning to grow into her powers. It seemed as though she had inherited levitation from Phoebe and the power to call for objects from her whitelighter father. After reaching an age where she had started to speak Prue had a name for everyone in the Manor. Obviously Piper and Leo were 'Mommy and Daddy', Mark was 'Unkie Mak', Paige was ''tie Pay', Laura was 'Lola', Cole was 'Unkie Co' and Phoebe, much to her annoyance, was ''Fee Fee'. It amazed Piper as to how much her daughter looked like her namesake and she had tried on many occasions to summon Prue so that she could meet her niece. Unfortunately, she had failed to succeed.

Despite the happiness of her family Phoebe was having a lot of relationship problems. Since moving in with Cole, he had seemed distant and somewhat unwilling to open up to her. This was causing Phoebe to worry and her suspicions were beginning to rise. Something the darklighter had said was constantly playing on her mind: "Once a demon, always a demon." She found herself trying to keep her distance from him and spent an awful lot of time at the Manor.

22nd December 2003

"Mark! Hurry up! We're gonna miss the plane!" Paige called up the stairs of the manor. She was waiting beside the front door, Laura in her arms, surrounded by suitcases and a stroller.

"I'm coming sweetheart! I just forgot to pack my toothbrush!"

"That's because I packed it for you! Idiot!"

"You know you guys have only been married for a year and you sound like an old married couple." Piper informed her little sister with a sly grin.

"Hmph! You know what Pixie?" Paige said, making faces to her daughter, "Auntie Piper's not being very nice about Mommy and Daddy. And you know what that means? Do ya? Santa Claus isn't gonna bring her lotsa nice presents like he's gonna bring you." She finished with a small peck on Laura's curly haired head and a motherly giggle. Laura had obtained the nickname 'Pixie' or 'Tinkerbelle' from her parents after they had dressed her up in a pixie outfit for Halloween.

Piper sighed slightly "I can't believe we're gonna miss her first Christmas! Remember Prue's? She was more fascinated by the wrapping paper than the presents!"

"Yeah, that was so cute. I'm really sorry. It's just that Mark's mom hasn't even met Laura yet and, I mean, who couldn't turn down an invitation to Christmas in Scotland? It might even snow!- Mark! We have to go soon! What are you doing?" (AN- it's really hard trying to make Paige get excited about Scotland! I've lived here my whole life and believe me, I'd much rather be in San Francisco!)

"I don't see why you can't just orb." Phoebe stated. She had just come downstairs, followed by Mark.

"We told you." He said, "We don't want Laura to grow up relying on magic. We're gonna teach her how to do things the non-magical way."

"Yeah, but she's nine months old! She's hardly likely to notice?"

Paige looked sternly at Phoebe, but soon smiled. "It's too late now! We've paid for the tickets!"

"Okay. You guys have a great time okay. And call us! You've got the presents right?" Piper asked.

"Yes! All packed!" Mark said indicating to a small suitcase sitting in the stroller.

"We've left your presents down in the basement. Have a good Christmas. Love you! See you next year!"

Leo and Mark carried the suitcases out to Paige's green beetle as Paige, Phoebe, Piper, Prue and Laura exchanged goodbyes. Paige couldn't help but notice that Phoebe was somewhat distant, but didn't say anything because she knew it would be Cole related.

"Say bye bye Prue." Piper said bouncing her daughter

"Byeeee Pwoo!" came the reply. All the Charmed Ones laughed, leaving the one and a half year old confused.

"Bye guys! I'll email you when I get there! Have a good Christmas." With that Paige strapped Laura into her seat, climbed in beside her and closed the door of the car. "Bye!"

"Boy is she gonna regret not orbing! Can you imagine a baby on a plane for ten hours?" Phoebe said as she turned to head back into the manor.

"Yeah! Especially a baby like Laura. I thought Prue was restless, but that kid never sleeps!"

"Are you surprised? With parents like Paige and Mark she's bound to be one active little girl."

Later that day

"Phoebe, what's up?" Leo asked his sister in law. He already knew it had something to do with Cole but he was worried about her recent odd behaviour.

"What do you think?" she said sounding cold.

"I'm sorry, it's just that, well, I worry."

Phoebe tried as hard as she could to smile. "Yeah, I know. I don't want to talk about it. I'll go get the presents Paige and Mark left and put them under the tree." With that she left the sunroom and Leo.

She entered the terracotta basement and noticed Piper had beaten her to the presents that lay in the corner of the room on Paige and Mark's bed. "Hey." She said, the stress evident in her voice. There was no point in trying to hide how she was feeling from Piper.

"Come 'ere," Piper said, her arms open for a hug. As Phoebe accepted the offer Piper continued "What up?"

Phoebe stepped back, trying to hold back the tears that had been fighting to fall since this morning. Piper, noticing this, motioned for Phoebe to sit on the bed next to her.

"You can tell me honey."

"It's just...I don't know what to do..." She said breaking down.

Piper knew her sister was upset about her situation with Cole, but she really could not see what was wrong with him. "It's okay." Piper soothed "You can tell me about it."

"I think he's evil." (A/N: Don't worry he's not:p)

"What!" Piper had not meant to sound so surprised, but Cole was one of her best friends. "Why do you think that?"

"I don't know. He's just never around…y'know? And with a past like he has it… Makes me wonder."

"Phoebs…" Piper sighed. How could she accuse her own boyfriend of being evil? Although Piper wanted nothing more than to shout at her sister for being so stupid, it seemed harsh under the circumstances. "Don't you think if he was evil then Paige would have sensed it by now?"

"I guess your right," Phoebe said, wiping the tears from her eyes, "Paige _would_ have sensed it…I just…"

"Come on honey…he's just busy at work. You are too, does that make you evil?"

"No…" Phoebe sighed. Piper was right. She mentally scolded herself for being so stupid and went upstairs to apologise to Leo.

"She is way too paranoid." Piper whispered to herself as she watched Phoebe leave.

That night, Phoebe and Cole shared a night of passion. In an attempt to apologise for her odd behaviour over the past two weeks, Phoebe had lined the bedroom with candles and rose petals. She had bought the most expensive bottle of champagne she could get her hands on and had made the only thing she could cook- spaghetti bolognaise. Cole had been so taken aback by Phoebe's sudden burst of passion that he had forgotten one vital thing…

Christmas Eve

"You have mail." The computer said aloud.

Phoebe looked up angrily, ready to delete any spam that had just been sent to her inbox when she realised Paige had finally written.

"Piper! We have mail from Paige!" She shouted through to the living room, opening the email.

"Hey guys! You'll never guess what I did? I actually milked a cow! A real cow! With my hands! Okay so they had machines but how could I turn down an opportunity like that?" Phoebe read aloud.

Piper responded with a loud laugh "Trust Paige to get excited over that. She's so easily amused."

"Piper, she practically threw a party when she saw you bought Leo the 'Queer Eye for The Straight Guy' book..." Phoebe replied before continuing to read:

"Okay now that I'm over that, how are you? Scotland is amazing! It's like one minute you're in the city and the next you're in the middle of nowhere. Mark showed me round some really cool places. It actually snowed! We got snowed in and it was _soooo_ cool!

Laura really likes her grandma. Remind me NEVER to take a baby on a plane again. EVER! The guy in the seat behind us complained like a million times about her making noise. They actually asked me to keep her quiet! Can you believe that? My niece is really nice. She's only seventeen and she knows more about magic than I do. She showed me how to make some neat potions and then we vanquished this demon that was hiding out in their barn."

At this point Piper let out another laugh. "I can't believe she found milking cows more exciting than vanquishing a demon!"

"She seems quirkier than usual…but then again she always rambles when she's excited," Phoebe responded with a shrug.

As Phoebe finished reading the email Leo orbed into the kitchen with a worried expression on his face. "Piper, Phoebe?" He shouted.

"On the computer!"

"You guys need to get to the book, now!" He said, out of breath as if he'd been running.

"Why what happened?" Asked Piper concerned.

"I'll explain in the attic, get upstairs now. Where's Prue?"

"Taking a nap on the loveseat..." Piper replied as Leo ushered her towards the stairs.

"Okay," He said with what sounded almost like relief.

Utterly bewildered Phoebe and Piper climbed the stairs to the attic. When they reached the attic, they were greeted by a grotesque; scaly, orange demon that was standing over the Book of Shadows looking slightly angry- he had obviously discovered he couldn't pick it up.

"Woah! Demon!" Phoebe said, turning to he sister.

Piper pushed past Phoebe and attempted to blow up the horned, rusty-orange demon that stood frowning in front of her. Unfortunately he shimmered out before Piper could kill him and she missed, blowing up the shelf on the opposite wall instead.

"Damn it!" She yelled before realising the demon had shimmered back behind her. She blew him up with a smirk of success plastered on her face. Piper's smirk soon faded as a second demon shimmered into the attic. The fact that there was a second demon was not the one that was bothering Piper, it was the fact that in the demon's arms, lay her sleeping daughter.

"Prue!" She gasped, "Give me my baby."

At the sound of her mother's angry voice Prue began to stir. She began to scream loudly when she saw the demon, which was holding her. "Mommy!"

"PRUE!" Piper yelled once more. The threat her daughter was under was causing her mind to fill with a hundred possible scenarios of what could happen and none of them were good. Plus, where on earth was Leo?

The demon took advantage of the two motionless witches and made straight for the book of shadows- her claws still firmly gripping the screaming baby. Fortunately, the book jumped away from the demon.

"Mommy!" Prue shrieked once more, but this time she disappeared in a cloud of blue and white lights, reappearing in her mother's arms. "Mommy," she repeated, a little more relaxed, but still crying.

Piper was still standing in shock at what Prue had just done and Phoebe knew she wasn't planning on letting go of her daughter to blow up the raven-haired demon any time soon.

WHACK! Phoebe kicked the demon hard in the back of the head and sent her to the ground. She dodged a fireball and thrust an athame into the demon's chest, causing it to erupt in flames.

"Woah." She exclaimed, "What the hell just happened?"

"I have no idea." Replied Piper, who was still holding Prue protectively against her chest, smothering her with kisses. "LEO?"

Phoebe, only just noticing the curious absence of their whitelighter, quickly made her way back down to the living room, where they had last seen him. Piper followed suit. When they reached the living room they saw Leo sprawled out on the floor.

"Oh my god!" Gasped Piper, "LEO WAKE UP!"

"Wha- PRUE?" He said panicking as he came around, "Piper the demo-"

"Daddy!" Giggled an excited Prue, before orbing to Leo's side. She poked his eye and stared curiously at the bruise that was appearing on his cheek. "Bang?"

Leo's face spread into a wide grin. "Did daddy's little princess just orb?" He asked picking up his daughter and placing her on his knee. "Are you okay sweetie?" he asked her.

Prue just replied with a loud giggle "weee!" She squealed, once again orbing to her mother.

"I think you might have to do something about that." Said Phoebe who was making faces at her niece.

"Very probably!" Replied Leo, and then he suddenly remembered what had happened. "Did you get the demon?"

"You mean demon_s_!" Phoebe corrected him and seeing the look of shock on his face she added, "There were two."

"What? Two? Do you think they were working together?"

"Well honey it's hardly likely that two demons of absolutely no connection decided to steal the book at exactly the same time? And if you wouldn't mind explaining- who the hell were they and _why_ did they try and kidnap our daughter!"

Leo pulled himself up from the floor and began to explain. "Well this morning I got a call from the elders." He said and went to hug his daughter. He hesitated slightly and shot a worried glance at the picture of Paige, Mark and Laura. "There's a bounty out for any demon who can kidnap the daughter of a charmed one."

"WHAT?" Piper screamed "What kind of sick son of a BITCH-"

"Bitshhh!" Prue squealed and Piper couldn't help but laugh.

"Prue, honey- don't say that- it's a very very bad word."

" Bad Mommy." Prue giggled, trying to tell off her mother.

Suddenly Phoebe remembered something she had read in her sister's email and raised an enquiring eyebrow. "I don't think that demon Paige vanquished was just a coincidence. Leo, you have to orb over there and warn her."

"Can't you just call her?" He said, slightly irritated. The elders had kept him 'up there' all morning and he wanted to spend Christmas Eve with his daughter.

"Yeah," Piper agreed. She knew how happy Leo made Prue. "She doesn't need us to protect her. I mean she's in a house full of witches!"

"Okay," Phoebe finally said. "But if she's pissed, I'm blaming you!"

"Tie Pay piss!"

"Okay. From now on we just won't speak around her!"

Piper, Phoebe and Leo were so preoccupied by Prue at that moment that they did not notice the tall, dark man step up behind Phoebe. Only when Phoebe felt his warm breath on the back of her bare neck did she react. She turned and swung her foot into the man's stomach and sent her fist at his eye. She pulled back when she realised who it was and looked incredibly guilty.

"Oh my god! Cole I am _so _sorry!" She gasped as she helped him up off the floor.

"It's okay." He said, wincing as he sat down on the armchair. "Just remind me to knock next time."

"Well you should know not to sneak up on people in this house!" Phoebe told him, giving him a playful smack on the arm.

"Yeah, sorry dude, but you got yourself into that one." Leo agreed.

"Dude!" squealed Prue and she orbed out of her father's arms into Cole's. "Unkie Co piss!"

Once again, the room erupted into laughter. Cole looked slightly bemused, but nevertheless found it funny. He started to bounce Prue up and down on his knee and remembered what he had come to do.

"Do you wanna see what Uncle Cole brought you for Christmas?" He asked the happy toddler.

"Uhu!"

Cole walked out of the room to the front door where he had laid his bags full of presents down. He walked back into the living room holding Prue's hand. She was clutching a large stuffed reindeer and was smiling broadly. In Cole's left hand he held a bag full of presents, which he handed to Piper.

"Thank you." She said "You'll get your presents tomorrow. Right now I have to get the camera!" With that Piper exited the room to go to the kitchen. The threat her daughter was under was still playing on her mind, but she was determined to have a good Christmas.

When Phoebe eventually got round to phoning Paige, she certainly regretted doing so. Paige was _definitely_ pissed! She yelled for at least fifteen minutes about how they should have told her as soon as they found out; about Decron being behind it and how she was going to kill any demon that came within a mile of her daughter. It startled Phoebe slightly when Paige's ranting came to an abrupt stop.

"By the way? Did I tell you that my powers have advanced?" The youngest sister asked overly happily.

"No." Phoebe said, sounding slightly confused but it didn't take her long to understand what Paige meant. The spot she had been standing on in the living room was suddenly _very_ cold and without any notice a cloud of orbs entered the Manor and a large pile of snow fell on Phoebe's head. "You are so dead!" Phoebe shrieked.

"Well from where I'm standing, it doesn't look like you can do anything to stop me…unless you plan on premonitioning me to death!" Paige laughed down the phone and another pile of snow orbed itself around Phoebe. "I'll see you on the second of January!"

When Paige hung up the phone, a curious looking Piper and Cole came rushing into the room. Piper looked at the pile of snow that was slowly melting into her carpet and shot Phoebe and angry and confused glance.

"Paige." Phoebe said dryly, "Her powers advanced!"

Although Piper was annoyed at the mess that was appearing in her carpet, she fell backwards laughing.

"Well," Started Cole and then he burst into song "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas..."

That night, Phoebe slept soundly in her old bed. Piper and Leo had moved Prue's crib from the nursery to their bedroom, so no demons could attack during the night. Cole had fallen asleep on the couch and Phoebe had refused to wake him.

"Santa?" Phoebe asked groggily as she sat up. She had been dreaming about being a small child on Christmas day and was still half in the land of nod. She had been awoken by a noise and in her sleepy state of mind Santa was the first person that popped into her head.

"Not quite." Growled a cold voice, which shocked Phoebe back into reality.

She opened her mouth ready to scream, but she was silenced by a large hand slipping over her mouth. "Don't even think about it." The demon growled and Phoebe knew who it was- Decron. "My attempts to kidnap the babies have been unsuccessful." He snapped and hit Phoebe hard across the face. "So I figured that going after the unborn child would be a better idea."

"Wha-" Phoebe started. She wasn't pregnant…was she? Then it hit her. That night with Cole…they had not used protection. "You can't have my baby!" Phoebe mumbled through the blood that was dribbling out of her mouth.

"But what are you going to do to stop me?" Decron whispered back. He picked Phoebe up by the shoulders and threw her against the window. It was a miracle it did not break. "Premonition me to death?"

The comment Phoebe had laughed at whilst talking to Paige no longer seemed funny as she felt a shooting pain in her chest after Decron's large boot made contact with her ribs. She tried to scream, but all that came out of her mouth was more blood. Tears began to fall from her eyes and she knew Decron was going to win- but not without a fight.

"Leave." She choked "Now!"

Decron just laughed. He towered over his prey forcing her into the corner of the room, cowering. "Poor defenceless witch!" He spat "No half-breed sister here to save you now!"

Phoebe just sat back against the wall cowering. Nothing but fear pumped through her body and she was scared for her unborn child above anything. "Oh, do remind my dear Paige that it was all her fault you lost your baby will you? I'm sure she'd be thrilled to know..." Decron smiled an evil smile and pulled an athame out of his coat pocked. He was ready to strike when he jumped backwards in shock. Phoebe had formed a fireball in her hand.

Phoebe was just about as shocked as Decron when the ball of fire appeared in her palm. She noticed the large, charcoal-black demon stumble backwards and took her opportunity. The fireball hit him in the side of the head and he was knocked back onto the bed. Phoebe used all her strength to stand up and yell, but she managed.

"Help!" She screamed, loudly, and within seconds Cole and Piper stood in the doorway of her bedroom.

Piper rushed to her sister's side, not noticing the demon on the bed. Cole on the other hand, spotted Decron. He made a dash towards the athame that was lying on the ground and he dug it into Decron's chest. Decron jolted up and knocked Cole backwards into the hallway. He pulled the athame out of his own chest and grinned maliciously as he licked the blood off of it.

"Don't worry. I'll be back." He said and flamed out, leaving everyone in a state of shock.

"LEO!" Piper screamed and he appeared next to her in a cloud of orbs, holding Prue.

"What happened?" He asked and then he saw Phoebe. She was curled up on the floor covered in blood and whimpering. Her eyes were filled with tears and she was clutching Piper's hand.

She tried to speak, but once again only blood came up. Leo healed her immediately.

"Fee Fee..." Prue said sadly, holding her arms out towards her now healed Auntie. Her lip began to quiver, but stopped when Phoebe grabbed her.

"It's okay Prue." She said, "We're okay."

Piper took her daughter from her sister and sat on the bed. Cole shuffled back into the room and sat next to Piper. Leo stood, looking concerned, in the corner. Phoebe knew they were waiting for an explanation.

"It was Decron." She started. "He said he was going to kill my baby..."

"The basta- WHAT?" Cole shouted, jumping to his feet and wrapping his arms tightly around Phoebe and kissing her forehead. "Wait until I get my hands on the dickweed!"

"Cole," Phoebe warned, "It's okay. Baby had other ideas...she seems to take after you."

"What?" Leo asked.

"I made a fireball!" Phoebe said proudly. "I mean _we_ made a fireball."

"Your _pregnant_?" Piper questioned, slightly shocked, "congratulations..." This came as a slight shock to Piper as only a few nights ago; Phoebe had been saying Cole was evil. But…the baby had made a _fireball? _"Didn't we strip Cole's powers?"

"Just because his powers are gone doesn't mean he doesn't have demonic genes." Leo said informatively "The baby must still get her powers- after all she is one quarter demon!"

"Woah." Cole said sounding slightly concerned "Does that mean she's under threat of tuning evil?"

"I don't think so. She's half witch, quarter human. The good should overcome the evil."

"Phew." Phoebe said to her stomach, "You know, for something who's only been here for two days you're certainly causing a lot of trouble." Phoebe was now having second thoughts about Cole's nature. He had given the baby demonic powers. Even if Leo was right and Cole did not have his powers, he still had demonic genes, which could sway him to the other side.

"What else did Decron say?" Piper pressed, not noticing Phoebe's worry.

"He said that I had to tell Paige that is was all her fault I lost my baby..."

"But you didn't... And how did he know you were pregnant before even you did?"

"I don't know. I don't know what he has against Paige, and quite frankly, I don't care. I just want him dead." Phoebe said, determination shining through.

"I know honey, we all do." Piper told her. She could see where Phoebe was coming from, but she _did_ care about the grudge the all-powerful demon had against their little sister. However, she was determined that Christmas was going to be perfect. "But today I think we should just celebrate. And I don't know about you, but it's already five thirty and I'm pretty sure that Santa Claus has been already..."

The four adults made there way downstairs to the living room in a way they hadn't done since they were children. They were all still dressed in pyjamas (Cole and Leo in boxers and a T-shirt) and were eying the Christmas tree with awe. Piper, being Piper, brought out the camera and took as many photos as she possibly could of her daughter opening presents. She got a particularly cute shot of Prue placing the stocking on her father's head and a particularly funny one of Prue sticking a candy cane up Cole's nose. They continued behaving like children for an hour when they eventually decided to get dressed.

The day went exactly according to plan- except from the incident where Prue orbed the mashed potatoes onto Cole's head. Paige called halfway through the day to thank everyone for their presents and at the same time laughed hysterically down the phone for about ten minutes- something about Laura blowing up Mark's hideous reindeer jumper. Piper conveniently forgot to mention Decron attacking Phoebe, thinking it would be a better idea to wait until Paige was back home. Everything was perfect.

AN- So…this chapter sort of sucked compared to the last one! I just have troubles writing Phoebe. It will get better again though, I promise! & Be warned, Phoebe/Cole shippers won't like the next chapter! I do though… MWAHAHAHAHAHA! Don't forget to review! May the Cheese be with you!

Laur xXx


	6. An age of paranoia

I do not own charmed

An- Hey there! Thanks for the reviews!

Wyatt333- You Rock! I'm so happy your adding my fic to your favourites! Don't worry, nobody dies in this chapter, but Phoebe/Cole fans still won't like it! Mwhahahahaha! And you like Prue? Me too, but my character development of Laura in coming chapters is really fun to write! I sorta gave her my liking for cheese…heh…

Passions- Thank you!

:D Some people who have read my previous Author's Notes will probably have guessed what this chapter contains- but don't worry nobody will die…yet! Please don't be too mad…it had to be done! Enjoy & Please review!

Laur xXx

**Chapter6- An age of paranoia**

Piper sleepily rolled over and smiled as May's spring sunshine beamed in through her bedroom window. The warm weather seemed to fit her mood perfectly. She looked at Leo, who was sleeping like a baby next to her and her mind filled with glorious memories of the passionate night they had shared. She kissed his forehead and climbed out of bed with a huge smile plastered on her face.

Peeking round the door of Prue's lilac and yellow bedroom, she noticed the bed empty and the little girl curled up amongst her huge pile of cuddly toys. She had her thumb in her mouth and her black hair was sticking out at odd angles. Piper let out a false sigh and pretended not to see her daughter hiding.

"Where could Prue be? Hmm…" Piper began looking under the bed and in the cupboard, but with no luck, she turned to sit in amongst the teddies, "I think I'll just sit with Mr Snuggles and his friends until she comes back…"

"Mommy!" Prue giggled, "No sit on Pwoo!"

"There you are! You little sneak. Were you hiding from Mommy?"

"Nu-uh. I good giwl!" She batted her long eyelashes and looked up at Piper with huge, doe brown, puppy dog eyes.

"You sure are sweetie. Do you want pancakes for breakfast?"

"Mmmm…"

Piper took this as a yes and picked her daughter up from her hiding spot. As she rested Prue on her hip, Piper smiled at the Sleeping Beauty pyjamas Leo had bought the previous day. He had bought mother and daughter a matching pair, much to Piper's disgust. She headed towards the stairs, doing a sort of bouncing dance as she did so. Just as her foot hit the top step, a noise from in the attic startled her back to reality.

Piper placed Prue on her and Leo's bed, where the whitelighter was still sound asleep.

"Stay here sweetie, okay?" Piper said, as she went to investigate the mysterious noise.

It was unusual for demons to attack at seven in the morning, but Piper, as always, was being cautious. She made her way quietly up the wooden staircase and slowly pushed the door open. Thankfully, no demon awaited her…just her very tired looking sister.

"Paige…" She sighed, "Have you been up here all night?"

Paige jerked her head up, startled by Piper's sudden appearance. Her dark locks were hanging roughly around her pale face. Her eyes were weighted by huge bags and she looked as if she hadn't slept in weeks. This was not unusual in the fast five months. Ever since Paige had found out about Decron's Christmas visit, she had been obsessed with vanquishing him. Mark too, had a strong grudge against the demon, but he had given up hope of finding a vanquish a long time ago.

"Mmhmm," Paige grumbled.

"Paige!" Piper scolded, "You know there's nothing in the book. I want Decron dead just as much as you do, but with no information we can't do anything."

"I know there's something we're missing. We have to do something before he manages to hurt the girls." Paige's words were slurred and mumbled. She was obviously in desperate need of sleep.

"Paige, if you don't get some sleep today, you're going to be too tired to look after Laura anyway. And what about Mark? You've become so obsessed with Decron that Mark sees more of Leo and I than he does of you!"

"Okay, okay…" Paige's eyelids drooped as she orbed out, but Piper let out a satisfied whistle and turned back down the stairs.

Phoebe awoke, yet again, to an empty bed. Cole had stayed all night at the office again and her doubts were becoming stronger once more. She sat up and grinned as she placed a hand on her gradually expanding belly. After plodding through to the kitchen in her pink bathrobe, she grabbed the jar of pickled onions from the fridge and dunked a handful into her tub of chocolate spread.

"Mmm," She grumbled "Yum…"

"Okay…if that's what you like…"

Cole sauntered up behind Phoebe and placed his arm around her. Phoebe, however, was so startled by his sudden appearance that she pulled away and turned to glare at him. Much to her surprise, he was wearing a pair of grey boxers and his red slippers. This aroused Phoebe's suspicions even further as she was sure he had not come to bed the previous night.

"I thought you stayed at the office?" She snarled, replacing the word office with underworld in her mind.

"I got home late and you looked so peaceful. I went to sleep in the guest room so I didn't disturb you."

"Oh really?" Phoebe questioned angrily, before storming out of the kitchen and into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Cole yelled through the door, but no reply came, "Hormones…" He mumbled.

When Paige eventually rolled out of bed at two thirty, she looked a lot better. Though her face was still worn, her lack of sleep was a lot less obvious. After a quick shower, Paige threw on an old pair of flared jeans and a yellow tank top. She tied her hair back in a high ponytail and left a few strands hanging around her face. Today was going to be a day of relaxation.

Piper struggled with the raging woman who was trying to break free of her grip. Currently, Leo was on his way to pick up Phoebe and Mark was with the girls looking through the Book of Shadows. On her return from the grocery store, Piper had nearly ran over the terrified, middle aged woman and after stepping out of the car to check if she was okay, Piper had decided that the woman's problem was definitely demon related. Her eyes were glazed over and she had an odd-looking scorch mark on the back of her pink cardigan.

As Paige reached the top of the basement stairs, she heard a muffled screech from behind the door. Cautiously, she opened it to reveal Piper wrestling with a slightly plump, blonde woman.

"What the hell-"

"We're thinking demonic." Piper stated, seeing the look of confusion spread across her youngest sister's face. However, Piper was revealed to see Paige looking refreshed, "I see that sleep helped then?"

"Yeah," Paige said, "But I see my planned day of relaxation is going down the drain."

"Sorry honey." Piper was still struggling to keep the woman still and the woman kept mumbling things that made no sense at all.

"Lying scumbag…cheating…liar…I hate him…"

"Why don't you just _freeze_ her?" Paige said, more as a statement than a question.

"Oh…" Piper suddenly looked embarrassed and threw up her hands. The kitchen was in silence as the woman froze. "I was gonna do that…"

Somehow, Mark managed to carry the book of Shadows, Prue and Laura down the stairs. He strode through to the kitchen where he saw Piper freeze their innocent with Paige standing next to her. He smiled broadly at the sight of his wife smiling, looking a lot more awake than she had in a long time. Laura's eyes too, lit up at the sight of her mother and before Mark could stop her, the curly haired one year old orbed out.

Phoebe and Leo appeared in the kitchen at the same time as a smaller cloud of orbs landed in Paige's arms.

"Mammy!" Laura squealed in delight "Mammy Mammy Mammy!"

"She's been asking for you all morning." Mark told Paige, still smiling.

"Hey there Pixie. How's my baby girl doing today?"

"Tzeez." Laura said, ignoring her mother's question and pointing at the fridge. "Tzeez"

"Did she just say _cheese_!" Paige burst into a fit of giggles at Laura's new word. Not many people could claim that cheese was one of the four first words in their vocabulary. Soon everyone but Phoebe, who looked very sullen, was laughing.

"Okay, so I take it that's our innocent? Who's the demon and how do we vanquish him?"

Everyone was slightly shocked at Phoebe's bitterness, but Mark broke the awkward silence by placing the book of Shadows on the kitchen table.

"I'm taking a guess and saying power brokers."

"Power whaties?" Piper asked. (AN- how many people see where this is going?)

"Power Brokers: These demons trade and market demonic powers for financial gain. Brokers sometimes use people to store powers until they find a buyer, so that thieves cannot steal them. A human being possessed of a demonic power will become confused then frightened, paranoid, violent and demonic, and will ultimately die if the power isn't withdrawn." Mark read aloud.

"Makes sense. How do we get the power out of Miss Paranoia and how do we vanquish the suckers?"

One hour later, Mark knocked loudly on the large apartment door. He smiled at Prue, who was standing next to him, holding his hand and at Laura, who was sleeping in her stroller. He had volunteered to take the girls to Cole's house, so they were not in any danger during the vanquish. He was also hoping to convince Cole to look after Laura for the night so he and Paige could have some well-needed alone time. Phoebe had already agreed, but she kept telling Mark not to take the girls to the penthouse when Cole was home alone and Mark was not entirely sure if Phoebe was feeling okay.

After a moment Cole came to the door. His eyes, which appeared to be tearstained, lit up at the sight of the two little girls.

"Unkie Cole!" Prue giggled jumping into Cole's arms.

"Why hello there Prudence! What brings you to this neck of the woods?" Cole's question was directed more towards Mark, but for some reason the ex-demon was avoiding eye contact with his best friend.

"Vanquishes. Can you take the girls for the afternoon?"

"Sure!" Cole said, delighted. "Do you have time for a coffee?"

Mark checked his watch. Since they had managed to catch the earlier bus to the penthouse, he wasn't going to be expected home so soon and plus, he wanted to know what was going on with Phoebe. "Tea would be good." He said, wheeling Laura through the door.

"What is it with you and tea? It's like some sort of witch necessity."

"I guess it is…look Cole? Is everything okay with you and Phoebe?"

Cole jerked his head upwards with a distant expression on his face. He let out a melancholy sigh and placed Prue of he red, suede armchair.

"I have no idea," he said, truthfully, "She's been really odd the past couple of months- ever since she found out she was pregnant. At first I thought it was hormones, but I'm not so sure anymore…"

"Dude…" Mark had never seen Cole so stressed before and was really at a lack of words. "Do you want me to get Paige to speak to her?"

"No!" Cole answered too quickly. "I don't want anyone else to get involved. Phoebe just doesn't trust me anymore and…" He swallowed hard, as if dreading what he was going to say next, "and maybe… if it weren't for the baby, I'd be questioning our relationship…"

"Auntie Fee!" Prue squealed, completely oblivious to the seriousness of what Cole had just said.

"What do you mean?" Mark questioned, hushing Prue with a motion of his hand.

"I mean…look; you and Paige, Piper and Leo, you are destined to be together. I was just thinking that Phoebe and I weren't meant to be."

"But, you're having a baby together?"

"That's what makes it so complicated!" Cole's raised tone of voice caused Laura to stir and as her tears flooded out, so did Cole's.

"Cole." Mark said in an attempt to calm his friend down, "Do you still love her?"

"Yes." Cole replied, taking a deep breath. "I think so."

"There you are then. If you still love her then there must be something behind your relationship. Just talk to her. She must think something bad is going on to make her get like this. There will be a solution to your problem- god I'm beginning to sound like a whitelighter- don't tell Leo I said that…"

Cole smiled gratefully at Mark, who was now doing the wiggle with Laura. The nauctater was right: there had to be a solution to whatever problem he and Phoebe were having. He would ask her tonight.

-------------------------------------------

Phoebe grumpily picked up the remainders of Paige and Mark's ongoing Decron research and tossed it into a cardboard box. Paige was downstairs brewing a potion to free their innocent of the power broker's influence and Piper was on innocent watch in the living room. Leo had orbed up to the elders to explain the situation and Phoebe had decided to do something productive. This was not because she wanted to be helpful, but because she needed to get her mind off Cole.

---------------------------

In her pocket resided the Power Broker vanquishing potion and Phoebe could not understand why they had to wait for Mark to return. Glancing at the Book of Shadows, she noticed it only required the potion so waiting for a fourth witch was pointless.

May as well just do it myself." She told her unborn child, "It's not like Mark will make a difference! And that way we can keep our appointment with Ava."

Phoebe pushed the book of shadows to one side and pulled the potion out of her back pocket. "Okay baby girl, let's do some spell casting." She said with a smile. Even after six years, a lone vanquish got her blood pumping and gave her a huge adrenaline rush. On the spot, she came up with a spell and recited it quietly. "You steal other powers, keep me waiting for hours, come here to me, so I can vanquish thee…okay, that sucked!"

Much to Phoebe's shock, a swirl of light appeared in front of her to reveal a tall, blonde man wearing a long cloak, which reminded Phoebe of Harry Potter's school uniform. He laughed at her and raised his hand, but Phoebe, who had gotten quite used to her baby's power, was faster. She threw a fireball straight at the power broker's mid section and sent him flying across the dusty old room.

"God, that was too easy!" She said as she threw the potion at her opponent and he disappeared in a cloud of blue smoke.

Phoebe's victory dance was interrupted by a sinister laugh as she turned to face another four power brokers. Obviously, her spell had not been specific enough and she had summoned an entire group.

"Stupid witch!" One sneered. "Though she may come in quite useful…"

Phoebe was in such a state of shock that she did not think to summon another fireball to throw at the other power brokers. She let out a piercing scream as three balls of light came hurtling towards her midsection, in fear that her baby would be injured. As they impacted with her she fell to the floor, unconscious, but other than this was unharmed.

Piper ran up the stairs as fast as her legs could carry her. She did not care that she had left the innocent alone in the house. Paige was not far behind her, the worry etched in her face. When they reached the attic, however, they were utterly bewildered as to why there sister had screamed.

"What happened?" Piper demanded, as she looked at Phoebe who was sitting on the floor in the corner of the room. "We heard a scream."

Phoebe looked around the attic and focused her eyes on her sisters, trying hard to remember how she had gotten onto the floor in the first place. She brushed her long, brown hair off her face and removed her glasses, trying to ignore the feeling that it had something to do with Cole. Last thing she knew, she had vanquished the power broker.

"I vanquished the demon." Phoebe said uncertainly, "He must have knocked me over."

"You vanquished him? Alone?" Piper was quite angry at her sister's naivety, but was also relieved to find nothing bad had happened.

"Well all I needed was the potion, so it seemed pointless to wait for Mark. I'm sorry okay? Now can someone orb me home? I need to lie down."

Piper and Paige exchanged curious glances. Phoebe seemed a little edgy and each of her sisters were concerned. However, Paige grabbed Phoebe's outstretched hand and the two disappeared in a swirl of blue orbs leaving Piper alone. She looked at the spot where Phoebe had been sitting and noticed the fresh scorch mark on the ground. She wrinkled her nose in confusion; if the power broker had knocked Phoebe to the ground, why had she landed in the exact spot as the demon had been vanquished in. Something was not right.

When Paige and Phoebe appeared in the penthouse, the middle sister swayed a little and felt her head spin. Paige grabbed her arm to steady her and gave her a once over.

"Are you sure you're okay?" She asked.

"I'm fine!" Phoebe assured her, but was lying through her teeth, "Just a little pregnancy sickness."

"If you're sure…I'm gonna tell Cole we're here and take the girls home, 'kay?"

"No!" Phoebe yelled, a little too quickly. She filled with worry at the thought of her two nieces being left with Cole and dashed towards the living room.

"Phoebe? What the hell's gotten into you?"

Paige entered the living room in time to see her older sister rip Laura from Cole's arms. The one year old burst into tears, but they soon subsided when she saw her mother. As a small cloud of orbs brought Paige her daughter, she watched curiously at what Phoebe was doing.

Phoebe stood defensively in front of Prue and turned to Cole with a look of venom in her eyes. "Stay away from them!" She spat and Cole looked utterly shocked.

"Phoebe? What the hell-" He asked, attempting to put a hand on her shoulder.

"Stay away from _me_!"

"What's gotten into her?" Cole asked Paige.

"I have absolutely no idea. Prue, c'mere."

Prue obliged and had soon joined Laura in the arms of the youngest charmed one. Paige and Cole looked from each other to Phoebe who had backed herself into a corner as if defending herself from a predator. Cole had no idea what to do. His girlfriend was terrified of him and had now formed a fireball in her hands. Paige seemed to register something in her head and made a move towards her sister, but was stopped by a fireball. Fortunately, Laura froze it before it came into contact with anyone.

"You're working with him!" Phoebe yelled, "He's taken over your mind Paige! Fight it! Demonic bastard!"

"Phoebe, listen to me. We are not evil. I think the power broker hit you okay? Just calm down and take deep breaths." As Phoebe lowered her hand and slid down the wall, Paige turned her attention to Cole, "I'm gonna take the girls back home and get some of the potion to help her. It'd probably be best for you to go into the bedroom. I'll be right back."

Paige arrived in the Manor at the same time as Leo, who had the innocent unconscious in his arms. She did not bother to question him about why the innocent was unconscious and dashed towards the solarium where she placed the two babies in the playpen.

"Piper?" She yelled. "We have a _serious_ problem!"

"What?" Piper asked as she came hurrying towards the kitchen. She noticed Paige's hands shaking as she poured the freshly brewed potion into four separate vials and continued, "Are the girls okay?"

"Yes, but Phoebe? She was hit by the power broker!"

"Oh my god! Leo?"

"I heard. Leave me one of the vials for Cindy and go! I'll figure out what to do with her."

"Got it!"

Paige instinctively orbed herself and Piper into Cole's room so they could give him a vial. However, they were not met with a scene they had expected. Cole lay in the corner with what appeared to be third degree burns all over his chest and face and they could hear furious screams coming from the living room.

"That does not look like damage from a fireball!" Paige gasped before looking to the skies, "Sam, I need help!"

"What?" Sam asked urgently as he materialized.

"Heal Cole! I'll explain later!"

Piper and Paige ran into the living room where Phoebe was shooting acid from her fingertips at everything in sight.

"Oh my god!" Piper gasped, causing Phoebe to spin around and face them.

"Piper? He's gotten you too hasn't he? But he's paid the price for being evil. And since you helped him, you will too!"

Acid flew towards the sisters, but Piper froze the room before it hit them. Unfortunately, Phoebe was still a witch and did not freeze. She came towards her sisters with an evil glint in her eye and raised her hand to punch Piper. Paige, luckily, was a lot faster and Phoebe fell to the floor barely conscious.

"Pour the potion down her throat," Piper instructed.

"Sorry Phoebs." Paige poured the entire contents of the vial down her sister's throat and watched as Phoebe began to stir and three balls of white light came floating out of her.

Phoebe grimaced against the bright light of her apartment before noticing Paige and Piper hovering above her. She sat up groggily and tried very hard to remember why she was there. Unfortunately, not one single memory of the past day came to her, but she was sure something terrible had happened.

"Are you okay?" Piper asked.

"Um…yeah I guess. What are you guys doing here? Oh my god! What happened? Was there a demon?"

"Uh, not quite sweetie!" Paige said, helping Phoebe to her feet. "It was you…"

"Me? But how could I…oh my god!" Suddenly, the memory of Mark reading the entry from the book of shadows came flooding into her mind. They had been going to vanquish power brokers. _A human being possessed of a demonic power will become confused then frightened, paranoid, violent and demonic. _"Power brokers…"

As the information registered in Phoebe's mind she turned to come face to face with a very sullen looking Cole. His shirt was ripped and his eyes were tearstained.

"Oh my god! Honey, I am so sorry! The power bro-"

"Phoebe, I know what happened. It does not change what you said."

"What do you mean?" Phoebe's voice sounded timid and she filled with fear of what Cole was about to say.

"I have been around long enough to know how power brokers work. They pick up on any doubts you have and magnify them." Cole's tone of voice was almost frightening, but at the same time, it was breaking. "Power broker or not Phoebe: you still think I'm evil!"

"Cole I'm sorry!"

"I don't care! Get out!"

"But-"

"No buts Phoebe! If we can't have trust in our relationship, what can we have?"

"The baby-"

"A lot of children survive with parents who aren't together! Now get out!"

AN- Don't be mad! Their break up is essential to a later part of the plot. (And it DID say on the TV show that they weren't meant to be together so…) Please don't hate me! And if you think I'm too cruel to Phoebe, I promise she will be happy in later chapters! I don't hate her that much…maybe I do, but I'm not as mean as you think! Please review…or I will release my flying monkeys to come and find you!

Laur xXx


	7. Moving on

I do not own Charmed

Yo Ho Hello! Thank you for not being mad! This chap is a little less exciting than others, but I can't have the characters being miserable/in peril/pissed all the time, can I? Thanks for your reviews; my flying monkeys have not yet needed to release their rage!

Passions- Thank you!

Jackie67- Glad you like it! You really like Mark don't you? & About the characterisation? I just give them personalities of people I know. Danielle won't me a main character, but she'll stick around.

Wyatt333- As always, your review ROCKED! Phoebe will be happy and her baby is coming soon (around the bottom of this page…) You guessed right about the Jason thing, but he won't be here for a couple of chapters yet! & How could I ever get rid of Cole? I love him too much…Mmmm Cole… sorry, got a little carried away there…again! He won't be around as much as he used to, but he will always be there with some sort of storyline.

Cutleryismyfriend- Yay a new reviewer! I tend to yell at the TV when a Phoebe/Cole moment happens too! Thanks for reviewing & BTW your story rocks like a cheese-coated hovercraft!

Peanut2lb- Holy moly! What a lot of reviews to respond to! I have another Mark fan! Yay! There will be more of Mark/Paige fluff later. I'm so glad you like my fic! What I've read of yours are really good! & Yay! Someone finally liked the action scene in chapter 3. I loved writing that! Anyway thank you! I wasn't going to offer this prize until this chap but since you were my 20th reviewer you win…cue drum roll… a piece of CHEESE! (I bet you're grateful? Lol!)

Happy Reading (And reviewing- HINT! HINT!)

May the cheese be with you!

Laur xXx

**Chapter7-Moving On**

±September 16th 2004±

Summer could not have gone more slowly in the Halliwell Manor. The news of Piper being pregnant with her second child had lifted the spirits for a while, but no matter how happy anyone else got, Phoebe continued to mope around the place. The huge wedge between she and Cole had been eased and they were now able to have civilised conversations but Cole still refused to let Phoebe back into his heart.

Yes, Phoebe missed Cole, but it was not the fact that their relationship was over that was hurting her. It was the fact that her daughter would have to live in two separate homes for her whole life. As Phoebe's due date crept closer and closer, Cole and Phoebe had to see a lot more of each other but Cole still refused to let old sparks be relit. He would visit the manor every Thursday with a bag full of baby gifts and would return home every Thursday having exchanged nothing more than words with the mother of his child.

On this particular Thursday, Phoebe was lazing in the garden enjoying the last of the summer weather and watching over her youngest niece when Paige orbed in with Cole.

"Hi," He said, handing the brown, paper bag, full of baby clothes, to her.

"Cole, don't you think you've bought enough for her already?"

"Well it's September sixteenth- only four days left- and since she's coming home to the manor I want her to know that even when her daddy isn't around, he still loves her."

"But she'll know that anyway Cole," Phoebe said, "Besides, we agreed she'd live with you too."

Cole sighed. He knew that their daughter would be living with he and Phoebe separately but he did not think it was going to be good for her. Despite this thought, Cole did not mention it. Things had just settled between the two soon-to-be parents and voicing doubts was just going to cause another ruckus.

"Phoebs, where's Mark?" Paige asked, picking up Laura, who was holding a piece of paper and was covered in pen.

"Basement."

"Well come on them Pixie, let's go find Daddy and then get you cleaned up! You messy little witch!"

"I gotsa picka!" Laura told her mother, showing her the picture she had been drawing which, to Paige, looked like an orange blob, "Tzeez for Mammy!"

"Why thank you," Paige said proudly. Even though it was just a scribble, her daughter's first masterpiece was going to hang with pride on the wall. "Let's go show Daddy,"

"Wait, Paige! Can you orb me home first?" Cole asked, placing his hand on Paige's shoulder.

"But you only just got here?" Phoebe questioned suspiciously. Although she and Cole were not together any longer, Cole's visits to the manor usually lasted at least two hours.

"Yeah…I, um…." Cole looked to the sky as if asking someone to give him an excuse to leave, "I've got to go to an important meeting." He said uncertainly.

"Oh…okay," Phoebe seemed to believe what Cole had said. Even if she didn't, her pregnant state left her in no mood to question the baby's father.

Paige, on the other hand, noticed Cole's suspicious attitude and orbed him into the attic, way out of Phoebe's earshot. "Why are you really leaving so soon?"

"I told you. I have a meeting."

"Nice try Cole. You may be a good liar, but I used to deal with lawyers a lot in my profession. Spill."

"Okay…I have a date."

Paige's eyes widened in shock. She stepped backwards and did not know whether to smile or to smack Cole in the teeth. How could he be going to see other women when Phoebe was days away from having his baby? On the other hand, he and Phoebe had been separated for four and a half months so it made sense that he was dating. Cole was Paige's friend and she knew she should be happy for him, but Phoebe was her sister and she would not be pleased. Paige tried to imagine Piper in this situation and could envision Cole's guts splattering on the attic walls. _Not pleasant. _She thought and decided the first option was a lot less messy.

"Really, who's the lucky lady?"

"A colleague." Cole replied with a vacant smile. He was obviously over Phoebe.

(AN- MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!)

"Okay! I'll take you home, but I want details later please."

"Thanks Paige. I'm not sure how Phoebe's going to take it so please don't mention it to her."

"I'll try."

Meanwhile in the garden, Phoebe awaited her younger sister's return. The sun had moved behind a cloud and without it, the September breeze was chilly. She slowly hoisted herself out of the garden chair and began walking towards the house, when suddenly; she stopped dead in her tracks. Her waters had broken.

"Leo!" She called out, "Piper! Paige!" Nobody answered her calls, but then she remembered Leo and Piper were at Ava's, which was magically protected, meaning Leo could not hear her and the only person in the house with her was Mark. "Mark!"

"Phoebe, what's wrong?" He asked urgently, racing out of the glass doors and placing a hand on her shoulder to calm her.

"My waters broke." She told him as the made their way inside.

"Shit." Was Mark's reply. He sat Phoebe on one of the kitchen chairs and grabbed her a nightdress from the laundry basket. "Put this on, I'll get warm blankets."

Mark dashed into the laundry room, racking his brains for what they had done when Prue was born. He grabbed some blankets from the radiator and made his way back into the kitchen where Phoebe had changed.

"Where's Paige?" He asked urgently. He was not keen on delivering this baby by himself. "Wait, where's Cole? I heard him arrive."

"He had a meeting." Phoebe said. She had felt no contractions yet, but she was getting the strange feeling of power drain. "Paige took him home. Call Piper, I'm going to lie down."

"Right…" Mark said and he reached for the phone, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'll be in my room."

With that, Phoebe left. Hopefully her calm façade had fooled Mark. As much as she loved him like a brother, she did not want him to be the only one present at the child's birth. She looked up the stairs and decided that climbing them by herself was maybe not a good idea and turned to go back into the living room. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain and winced as she received her first contraction. Oddly, when she opened her eyes, she was in the comfort of her own room.

"Did I just astral project?" She asked out loud, but she was certain she had not. "Wait…"

Phoebe held out her left palm and attempted to form a fireball. As she had expected, nothing happened. The strange power drain she had felt was her losing control of the baby's powers. The baby had shimmered them upstairs.

"You walk awfully fast for a pregnant woman!" Mark said with a smile as he entered her room. "Piper and Leo are on their way."

"I didn't walk. The baby shimmered me up here." Phoebe said proudly.

"Well that's new! At least she won't be the only child in the house without a transportation power."

"Yeah, that would have been a downer! Then again I'm sure Prue and Laura wouldn't have left her out."

"Yeah, even for a one year old, Laura's pretty selfless. She'll wait 'til Paige and I are awake in the mornings before she starts to cry, y'know? Pretty amazing little girl."

Phoebe smiled at Mark, who was beaming with pride as he spoke of his daughter. How could Laura not be selfless with parents like Paige and Mark? Both parents… Phoebe let out a sigh as she thought of the life her daughter would lead. Living in two separate homes for her whole life would not be good for a child. Her melancholy chain of thought was brought to an abrupt stop as she received another contraction.

"Where are you guys?" A shout belonging to Paige came from downstairs. "Hello?"

"We're up here honey!" Mark yelled back, "Phoebe's waters broke!"

They could hear Paige's excited squeals and Laura's giggles as the mother pounded up the stairs faster than you can say "Nebuchadnezzar". She burst into Phoebe's room with a huge grin on her face, kissed mark on the cheek, and then joined her sister on the bed.

"Yay!" She exclaimed, "How are you?"

"Okay I guess." Phoebe replied with a shrug. The contractions were painful when they came, but that was not very often yet.

"Just you wait." Paige said with a sly grin, "Do you want anything?"

"Candy?" Laura asked hopefully, "Tzeez?"

"Tea would be good." Phoebe told Paige, smiling at her niece.

"Okay, I'll get you some and put my little Pixie here down for her nap. I'll call Cole from the kitchen. I'm sure he'll cancel his da…meeting to be here."

"No." Phoebe said, "He said it was important." Of course, she was lying. Him being there might bring up old feelings and she was just beginning to get over him.

"Okay…" Paige queried Phoebe in her mind, but let it slip, knowing she would call Cole anyway.

"Paige, I'll take Laura to if you want to put the kettle on?" Mark offered.

"Sure," Paige replied, but as they exited the room she turned to her husband with a very serious expression on her face. "Do not leave her alone for one minute. You remember what happened last time a baby was born in this family and there is still the risk of Decron attacking." Paige's voice seemed to drip with poison as she said the demon's name and Mark was feeling the same intense hatred.

"I'll take the crib up here." He replied, "I'm sure Prue won't mind some company."

As Phoebe listened to the Andersons make there way downstairs, her thoughts returned to Cole. Memories of the day they had met; of when she had pretended to vanquish him; of when she had discovered she was pregnant; none of them were happy ones. Perhaps destiny had not meant for them to be together after all.

At the exact moment Phoebe realised she no longer loved Cole, she received a contraction. She winced in pain and once more, when she opened her eyes, she was not where she had been before.

"Phoebe? What are you doing here?" Cole's voice asked. She was sitting on Cole's bed and he was standing in front of her with no shirt on. "What are you wearing?"

"Um…" Phoebe suddenly realised that the baby had shimmered her to Cole's apartment. The smell of paint filled her nostrils and she noticed the room she had once forced Cole to paint lilac, was half blue. "Baby." She told him before receiving another contraction.

"Oh!" Cole went into panic mode and ran into the living room. "Call for Leo! I'll call the Manor!" He yelled and then added under his breath so that Phoebe could not hear him "And Danielle…"

When Leo, Piper and Prue arrived in Cole's apartment they were a little confused. Mark had called from the manor to say that Phoebe's waters had broken but once they left Ava's Phoebe had called from Cole's.

"Maybe Paige orbed her here?" Leo suggested as they walked towards the living room from the kitchen. "Cole? Where's Phoebe?"

"She's in the bedroom. I think the baby shimmered her over here." Cole told them. He was dialling a number into his phone, looking a little nervous. "I'll take Prue if you want to go in." He offered but was distracted by a voice at the other end.

"Danielle Sutherland."

"Um…Danni, it's Cole."

"What's wrong?" She asked hearing his nervous tone, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine Sweetie. It's just I'm going to have to cancel tonight. Phoebe's waters broke."

"Aww! Congratulations! Wish her good luck and maybe when I see you at the office tomorrow you'll be a daddy!"

Piper pursed her lips as she heard Cole call the woman on the end of the phone 'Sweetie". However, she decided to respect his privacy; at least until the baby was born. She tried to ignore her urge to shout at Cole and walked into the half decorated mess of Cole's bedroom where there was a pungent smell of paint. Ignoring the sudden sick feeling in her stomach, she went to grab Phoebe's hand and pull her out of the room.

"If we deliver her in here then she'll be high before we cut he cord." Piper told her sister, holding her own nose.

Two hours later, although in a lot of pain, Phoebe was still not fully dilated. She was lying on Cole's dining table watching Paige and Mark (who had arrived shortly after the Halliwell-Wyatts) converse with Piper. They were speaking in hurried whispers and Phoebe was not sure whether or not to be concerned. Leo was with Prue and Laura on the balcony, admiring the spectacular view of San Francisco and Cole was watching Phoebe with a deep look of apprehension on his face.

"Paige, you're just paranoid." Piper whispered to her younger sister. "And even if he does attack, we wont let him near the girls _or_ Phoebe."

Paige said nothing. She kept the same concerned expression on her face and leaned aggressively back onto the couch. She did not think she was in the slightest bit paranoid.

Mark did not need Phoebe's empathy power to sense his wife's worry. He knew, though she would never admit it, that Paige feared Decron. He gave her a reassuring smile and pulled her into a hug. "Love you." He told her, making puppy dog eyes.

"Love you too." Paige replied, her expression finally turning into a wide grin before she kissed him.

"God, you make me more sick than this baby!" Piper said sarcastically, placing a hand on her stomach and leaving the two alone of the couch and going to speak to her other sister.

"Hey Phoebe, how you doin'?"

"Just _peachy_!" Phoebe said, "I just want this baby out. Shimmering every time I have a contraction is getting a _little_ annoying!"

It was another four, long hours before Phoebe got her wish

"I want to start pushing!" She screamed through clenched teeth.

"Okay." Piper said and if Phoebe had not been in so much pain, she would have thanked the higher powers. "Cole, come here and hold Phoebe's hand, Leo take the girls home- they do not need to be woken up, Paige, Mark; you know the drill."

"Gotcha." Paige replied, lifting up Phoebe's nightgown, "Come on Phoebs: push."

The middle sister let out a blood curling scream and Cole's eyes widened.

"Thank God Paige had drugs…" Mark muttered under his breath, looking at Cole's hand, which was already turning red.

"Shut up Mark!" Paige said and she kicked him in the groin, "Now multiply that pain by a hundred and _then_ make jokes!"

"Ouch…" Mark squeaked

Unfortunately for Phoebe, the birth of her daughter took a lot longer than Piper or Paige's labours. She felt like giving up when, at eleven fifteen, her older sister uttered the three words she had been longing to here since ten PM.

"One more push!"

As soon as Phoebe's final howl ended, the penthouse was filled with the cries of a tiny baby girl. As Paige handed her sister the screaming little girl, Phoebe's eyes filled with tears of joy. She was no longer Aunt Phoebe…she was Mommy.

Piper had never imagined Cole to cry, but here he was with tears streaming down his face. One landed on his daughter's stomach and he wiped it away with his index finger.

"She's so small…" He said with a smile bigger than anyone could imagine. "My little Melinda Halliwell."

Phoebe suddenly felt a twang of guilt shining through her happiness. She had chosen the baby's first name, given her daughter her second name, was having her live in the Manor and Cole had nothing. "Don't you mean Melinda-Jayne?" Phoebe asked him, "You always liked Jayne, right?"

"Are you serious?" Cole asked and although nobody had thought it possible, his smile broadened. "Thanks Mommy."

"You're welcome Daddy."

It was an awkward moment as the two new parents held their daughter for the first time. She was beautiful: huge brown eyes and a tuft of black hair. The one thing that worried the parents about these features was that diagonally across her right eye, was a black demonic tribal line and hidden by hair above both of her ears, were two small, red hexagons- the symbol of a powerful demon. Cole assured Phoebe that Melinda-Jayne would learn to control these in time and that they would most likely disappear when she was not crying. For one moment, the two new parents looked directly into each other's eyes and felt nothing but gratefulness. No passionate love remained between the two, only a mutual respect. And this pleased them both. Now they could move on with their lives.

I told you Phoebe would be happy! She'll even get happier in coming chapters! Anyways…I'm sorry that the birth of MJ (that's probably what I will refer to her as now.  
I named her after my best friend _Melanie_-Jayne & that's what we call her so…) wasn't really as climactic as you'd hoped, but there is a reason for Decron's absence. And besides, I thought it was time for a feel good chapter! Please review and I might not send the evil brain eating Munchkinlanders as well as my flying monkeys…

Laur xXx


	8. Chocolate Sauce and Parties

I do not own Charmed

I have decided to update early because I'm going to my best mate's 16th birthday party tonight and I don't know if I'll be in a fit state to do anything tomorrow…lol!

Thanks for the reviews!

Wyatt333- Thank you! I used to get annoyed when people called Phoebe's daughter Melinda too, but then I watched 'baby's first demon' and Piper says she was going to call Wyatt Prudence, if he had been a girl and I figure that one of the other sisters would take the name Melinda. You'll have to wait and see about the kids but there will be 8 in total and perhaps there will be a boy or two, perhaps not. You'll have to wait and see!

Peanut2lb- More about MJ's demonic markings will be explored when she's older (remember, ice cream trucks and demonic children don't mix.) & Thanks for you review! Expect a review when on your fic soon, I promise!

Jade-eye-Halliwell- It may have taken a week for me to update, but I have escaped an attack from your deadly weapon! Thanks for the review!

Cutleryismyfriend- Lol, like I said, there is a reason to do with Decron's absence (remember his grudge against Paige) and for quite a while, Phoebe is going to be happy (sorry to disappoint you, I have disgraced myself-lol!). & about the flying monkeys- After the Wicked Witch of the West died, they came to work for me! The wicked witch of the north east! Muahahaha!

Jackie67- Yes, you have escaped the wrath of the Oz beings (which are not evil!) I always kinda related to the Wicked Witch…figures! Thanks for the review!

:D To show my true gratitude I'm going to sing you this song from the sound of music, because it's been stuck in my head all week!: High on the hill is a lonely goat heard. Yodalayee Yodalayee Yodalayee hee hoo! Don't ya just love musicals!? Lol! Seriously though, your reviews really mean a lot to me so thanks!

I have to recommend Wyatt333's story 'simply charmed' because it seriously kicks butt!

There are other stores I'd like to recommend but just check out my 'favourite stories' on my profile if you want to take a look at them!

Happy Reading! And don't forget to review! BTW, this chapter starts in January, four months after the last chapter!

Laur xXx

**Chapter8- Chocolate sauce & Parties**

Phoebe eventually got her daughter to sleep and sat back in triumph on the loveseat in the living room. She just managed to drift off when she was woken by her youngest niece. Laura had obviously orbed herself on top of Phoebe unknowingly because she looked slightly worried when her Aunt woke up.

Because she had only just learned to orb from one room to another, Laura was having great joy in orbing everywhere. She had also learned to speak a lot quicker than most other children and had the surprising ability to control her exploding powers with ease. Prue too, was using her powers like a pro and practiced them a lot with her Aunt Paige. Melinda-Jayne, or MJ as she was sometimes called, had so far only showed the ability to shimmer and form tiny fireballs, but it was the powers of Piper's unborn child that everyone was curious about. When she had been pregnant with Prue, Piper had the ability to orb (AN-I know I said before that Prue had shown no powers in the womb, but now I'm contradicting myself for the purposes of the plot!); when Paige had been pregnant with Laura, she cold heal and when Phoebe had been pregnant with MJ, she had the ability to use all of the baby's powers. But with Piper's second pregnancy, she had shown no sign of a new ability or even felt a power increase. It was worrying her a lot so she had began going for check-ups with Ava once a week.

"I's sowee." Laura said and she opened her huge blue eyes widely and batted her long eyelashes. Even though she wasn't even two years old she definitely knew how to win a person over.

"That's okay Laura. Just check if anyone's here next time okay?"

"Uhuh. Mommy?"

"She's gone shopping with Uncle Leo."

"Pixie! I know you're up here!" Mark said in a playfully menacing tone. He walked into the living room and picked his daughter up under her arms. He began spinning round in circles until he almost fell over the coffee table.

"Daddy!" Laura giggled, "Again!"

"Only if you promise you won't orb away from me like that again, okay?"

"Uhuh! Weeeeeeeee!" She giggled and waved her arms in the air, as if on a roller coaster and when Mark stopped spinning, she gave him a huge hug and whispered "I wuv oo daddy,"

Phoebe sat watching the touching moment between father and daughter. A tear came to her eye as she thought of her daughter having to move between homes, but she quickly brushed it away when she spotted Piper standing in the doorway watching. Prue held her hand and she was looking enviously at her Uncle Mark.

"Me wants a turn!" She said and ran up to him with her arms stretched outwards.

Mark looked at Piper to ask whether or not it was okay. Normally he wouldn't have hesitated, but messing with an eight-month pregnant woman was not something he wanted to do. Piper smiled and nodded- she was obviously not in the middle of a mood swing.

"Okay Prue, up you come!"

Prue levitated into her Uncle's arms and he spun her round, just as he had done to his own daughter. When he began to get dizzy Phoebe had to catch him before he once again, fell over the coffee table.

"I'm not doing that again in a hurry." He said with a small laugh.

"Mommy!" Laura squealed as she heard the door in the foyer shut.

"Help!" came Paige's reply.

Piper spun round to see her sister with an armful of groceries, struggling to keep a hold of them all. She decided it would be more fun to watch.

"Bite me." Said Paige

"Gladly..." Said Mark as he walked up to his wife, taking a few bags from her and he began nibbling her neck.

"Get a room!" Piper told them "There are kids here! - Where's Leo?"

"He's waiting for you in the car. You have an appointment with Ava, remember?"

"Oh yeah! I totally forgot! Prue honey, do you want to come see Ava with Mommy and Daddy?"

Prue's eyes lit up when she heard Ava's name. Going to see Ava meant getting candy. She toddled over to her mother and graciously took her hand.

"We'll be back soon." Piper said as she walked out of the front door.

"Was I that forgetful when I was pregnant?" Phoebe asked

"Nope," Mark replied, "You're always that forgetful."

"Gee, thanks!"

"That's quite alright."

Mark and Paige took the groceries into the kitchen and Laura went to babble to her Aunt Phoebe about cheese, of all things. (AN-I couldn't resist! I had to give a character randomness! It was driving me insane! Lol!) Phoebe laughed at her niece's random comments and decided that Laura was going to be able to talk for the USA before she could form proper sentences. She once again sunk into the loveseat when Melinda began to stir in the corner.

"Linda's 'wake!" Laura exclaimed.

Phoebe got up and picked her daughter out of her basinet. Melinda-Jayne, or MJ as she was now called, stared up at her mother through large, doe brown eyes and began to fuss.

"Shh MJ, Mommy's got you." Phoebe whispered to her four month old.

She began to do the wiggle around the room when she decided it was time for her to go to Cole's- even if she was going to be an hour early.

"Laura, do you want to go visit Cole?"

"Yeh! Mommy?"

"Of course you can go visit Cole, Pixie." Paige said with a smirk- it was as if Phoebe was reading her mind. For the first time in six months she was going to be left alone with Mark...

Piper and Leo pulled up outside the Manor just in time to see Phoebe drive away. They assumed she was taking MJ to her father's and waved.

"Hurry up Piper, we're already late!" Leo said.

"I know honey, but I really want to get those films developed and there's a photographers right next to the clinic..."

"I know honey, just be quick!" Leo said as he watched Piper waddle up the stairs to the Manor and he silently added '_She really is forgetful when she's pregnant!'_

Piper pushed the Manor door open and judging from the silence Phoebe had taken Laura with her. She walked, as quickly as an eight-month pregnant woman could walk, through to the kitchen to look for the camera. It was only when she heard a quiet giggle from behind the fridge that she noticed her sister hiding there.

"Paige, what are you doing?" She asked, but no reply came. "Hey! Don't you orb away from me!"

The cloud of orbs that had been making it's way towards the basement stopped and materialised in the doorway. Paige stood grinning and blushing, wearing nothing but Mark's chef apron.

"_PAIGE!"_ Piper gasped, her eyes drawn to the bottle of chocolate sauce that Paige held in her hand.

Paige quickly tried to hide the bottle behind her back and responded "Hey Piper! I was just gonna… erm... have some chocolate sauce..." She attempted to look innocently at the ceiling, but it is not something that is easily done when you are standing half naked in an empty house!

"Y'know what? I am not even going to ask...remind me _not_ to give chocolate sauce to Prue for desert tonight...eew!"

"Umm, okay! Y'better get going Pipe'!"

"Yeah! I think I had better!" Piper said as she almost ran out of the kitchen, only just remembering to grab the camera off the table "Bye Mark!" She shouted cheekily.

"BYE PIPER!" She heard him boom back and it was obvious he was taking great enjoyment in his wife's embarassment because he seemed to be laughing.

Piper slammed the door shut behind her and wondered whether to laugh, or be deeply disturbed by what she had just witnessed.

"Eew." She said once more as she got into the car.

"What honey?"

"Don't even ask! Prue- If Aunty Paige ever tries to give you chocolate sauce do NOT take it, okay?"

"Otay Mommy!"

----------------------------------

Phoebe, Laura and Melinda-Jayne emerged from the lift and went to knock on the door. Phoebe let go of her niece's hand and lifter her arm. However, before she could make contact with the whitewashed wood, it opened.

Standing in the doorframe was a petite Hispanic woman, smiling broadly at Phoebe and the girls. Her thick, glossy, black hair hung in waves around her face; the fringe stopping just before her big, dark eyes, and her smile revealed two rows of perfect white teeth. Her nose was slightly crooked and she had a large mole on her chin, but even with those blemishes, Phoebe could not help but notice how pretty the woman was. The only thing wrong with the woman was that Cole had his arm around her waist.

"Hi!" The woman greeted, "I'm Danielle! You must be Phoebe? And this must be little Melinda-Jayne? And…Laura, right? Cole thinks the world of those girls you know?"

"Um…" Phoebe's mind went completely blank. She was over Cole, but it was odd seeing him with another woman. "Yeah…nice to meet you."

"You too. She's beautiful." Danielle was smiling at MJ with a broody look in her eyes and she began babbling, "Yes you are. You're a cutie. I could just eat you up."

Suddenly, Danielle stopped moving altogether. Cole and Phoebe, who had been warming to her turned to give Laura 'the look'.

"Sweetie, you can't just freeze people like that." Cole said sternly.

"She eat 'Linda!" Laura replied, shocked.

"Oh no Honey…that's just a figure of speech. The nice lady was just pretending. Now unfreeze her please."

Laura gave Danielle a very evil glare with her eyes narrowed and her lips curled; a glare that reminded both unfrozen adults very much of Paige. Reluctantly, she unfroze her and gave her a guilty smile. As Danielle turned to the almost-two year old, Laura's look hardened, but when she noticed the chocolate bar in the woman's hand, she soon decided that her Uncle Cole's girlfriend was not so bad.

"I'm sorry we're early Cole, but I've got a column to hand in by tonight." Phoebe said, but she was secretly glad they had come early so she had gotten to meet the infamous Danielle.

"That's okay Phoebe." Cole replied, "It means MJ gets to spend more time with Daddy. And guess what Melly? Daddy's gonna take you to feed the ducks up at Golden Gate Park? You like that don't you?"

Phoebe smiled. Cole was a great Dad and she'd have loved to stand and spoke to him more, but she had a column to hand in and Laura was getting restless. "I'll pick her up on Monday morning at ten."

"Bye Phoebs."

"Bye Cole. And Melinda-Jayne, you be a good girl okay?"

---------------------------------------

Two weeks later- February 7th 2005

The chaos of having three magical little girls, and another child on the way very soon was getting to be a little overwhelming for the Haliwells. Prue was beginning to understand that using her powers outside of the Manor was not a very good idea but Laura, it turned out, had inherited her mother's stubbornness. She had gone on a play date with Darryl's daughter Shauna and decided it would be fun to freeze her friend. Luckily Darryl and Sheila knew about the Haliwells being witches because if they hadn't, then they would have found it pretty suspicious that their daughter was frozen in her playpen. Luckily for Paige and Mark, Laura could only orb within the walls of the Manor as she was still going through an orbing phase. MJ took great delight in throwing fireballs when she was in a temper and Phoebe was having trouble hiding her daughter's tribal mark when she got angry. Cole ensured her that as MJ got older she would be able to control it better, but for now she was never without a hat or bonnet.

Phoebe looked proudly at the banner she had just stuck on the wall of P3. 'Congratulations!' it read. Mark had just been given the job as head chef at Quake (A/N Yep, where Piper used to work) and they had decided to use it as an excuse to have a party. Because it was a Sunday, P3 was closed and Piper had offered it as a place to hold the party because she was too heavily pregnant to tidy the Manor.

Paige was sitting on the stage in P3 attempting to teach her daughter and niece how to karaoke. She handed Prue the microphone and sneakily switched it on.

"And now you sing." She told them.

"Otay!" Prue said and stared around the club in shock as her voice was magnified and came out of the speakers in the roof. "If you happy and you know it..."

"Pat you knee!" Laura squealed.

"Pat your knee," Prue repeated. "If you happy and you know it…" (Imagine Phoebe and Prue in 'Once upon a time'. I LOVE that scene!)

"Gee's Piper, you oughta book Prue for the club!" Mark joked.

"Yeah Mommy!" Prue said

"Not until your twenty one sweetie." Piper told her and then added to Leo and Mark "Oh God, that's only nineteen years!"

"Eighteen years, four months!"

"Shut up Mark! I can't believe how quickly she's grown up."

"Yeah Piper, but pretty soon we're gonna have another one to watch grow up. You should probably sit down honey."

"I'm perfectly fine! Honestly!" She told him, lifting her arms up to show her 'perfectly fine' body and being washed over by dizziness "Woah... maybe I _should_ sit down..."

"Are you okay honey?" Leo asked. He placed his hands on her shoulders and orbed her over to one of the seats.

"You know, it's a damn good thing we know about you guys!" Came a voice from the bottom of the stairs and everyone turned to see Darryl, his wife Sheila and two kids Michael and Shauna standing there.

"Hey D!" Mark said and he walked over to greet his friend.

"Congrats on the job!" Darryl said and he turned to his kids "Hey guys, Prue and Laura are over there, how about you go play with them?"

"Okay daddy," The little, dark haired, five-year-old boy said as he grabbed his sister's hand and walked over to the stage.

"Is Piper feeling okay?" Sheila asked, looking towards Piper, who had just gotten over her dizziness, but was sitting with her head in her hands looking quite pale.

"I think she just got a little dizzy- she's been on her feet all day." Mark said. He had a feeling Piper was probably not okay but if he said otherwise he was at risk of being blown up.

"Okay," Said Sheila and she began to walk in Piper and Leo's direction. "I'll leave you guys to… do guy things."

Phoebe took MJ from her father, so that he could join his friends at the bar. She went to sit next to Paige on the stage but found that her daughter was not too keen on being surrounded by four hyperactive children and one very hyperactive Aunt Paige. Paige was holding Laura on her hip and was dancing around in circles singing the Bob the Builder theme tune. Phoebe laughed at her sister's childish behaviour- her parenting techniques were odd, but very effective.

"Paige?" Phoebe asked, "What the heck are you doing?"

"Well I'm doing what we came here to do! I'm partying!"

"Like a three year old?"

"Well my partying is a lot more appealing than everyone else's. Since when did the Halliwells become boring old losers?" Paige gestured around the almost empty nightclub.

"Hey, we are not boring!" Phoebe retaliated, although looking around P3; she got Paige's point.

If the faces had not been familiar to her, Phoebe would have said she was attending a parent-teacher association meeting. Paige was the nursery teacher: looking after the children; Cole, who was leaning over the bar from behind it, was a teacher, telling Darryl and Mark how well their children were doing in class; Sheila was also a teacher, but one of troublesome children. Leo looked deeply concerned and Piper- wait…what was Piper doing?

Phoebe's fantasy drifted quickly out of her mind as she took a closer look at her older sister. She was clutching her abdomen and panicking, grabbing onto Leo's hand. Then, as Sheila came rushing towards her, it registered in Phoebe's mind what was happening: Piper was in labour.

"Piper's baby's coming!" Sheila yelled at the two other women.

At this comment, Paige looked up. Phoebe was already running to Piper's aid and all three of the men at the bar were going into panic mode.

"Okay…" Paige muttered to herself, looking at the kids. "Who wants to play 'Ring Around the Rosies'?" All of the kids looked up excitedly, and Paige held out her hands. "Make a circle and close your eyes." She instructed, hoping they would realise this was not the rules of the game they were going to play.

Luckily, they did as they were instructed and as soon as a circle was formed, it disappeared in a cloud of bright lights, reappearing next to the bar. Unfortunately, Prue had noticed her mother's panic and had sped off in the direction of the table where Piper and Leo were.

"Prue, wait." Paige yelled.

Prue stopped and turned to face her Aunt. "What's wrong with Mommy?" She asked urgently.

"Don't worry honey. You're baby sister is coming."

Prue's eyes were as wide as saucers. A smile appeared on her little face and she began toddling back towards the other kids. "_Sister_?" She asked, her voice sounded shocked, but Paige was too preoccupied to notice.

Paige was going into commander mode and becoming rather bossy, but nevertheless, everyone was listening intently.

"Cole, Darryl, Sheila- you take the kids in the SUV back to the Manor, Mark and I will stay here and lock up, Phoebe and Leo can take Piper to the hospital."

"But I already tried orbing her and it doesn't work!" Leo yelled. His voice seemed panicked and his face was red.

"Take the car!" Paige shouted back and then something dawned on her. When her waters had broken before she had given birth to Laura, she could not orb either. But her initial thoughts of Decron putting an anti-orb spell on their location did not make any sense because she had just orbed the kids to the bar and when she had had Laura, Leo had orbed her to a hospital. Before Paige could say anything to warn her sisters, they had shot out of the door. Apparently she had been lost in thought for quite a while because it was now only she and Mark left in P3.

"Paige, are you okay?" He asked, putting an arm around her waist and kissing her cheek.

"Just thinking about stuff." Paige replied. Mentioning Decron would make things worse because she was probably just being paranoid.

"Decron?" Mark asked, as if reading her mind. Maybe she wasn't the only paranoid person.

Although he had not shown up for a year and three months, Decron still posed as a huge threat, especially to the Andersons. They had discovered no new information during their reckless searches through books and websites and nothing but a heading resided in the Book of Shadows. The two that remained in P3 had almost lost a daughter to this ruthless demon and the fact that he was still out there left their minds never at ease. For some reason, he had not shown up at the birth of MJ and he was unlikely to attack Piper in the middle of a busy hospital, but Paige and Mark could not push this horrible feeling out of their heads.

"Piper will be fine." Mark reassured his wife, "Now let's tidy up before we miss the birth of the latest Halliwell. Lord only knows we need more…"

"Hey!" Paige scolded him playfully. "But I suppose we should clear up. I'll go through the back and turn of the speakers and stuff, you wash the glasses- I know how much you love that job…" She grabbed a half full bottle of water from the counter and downed it, hoping that her dry throat would disappear.

"Yes Dear."

Mark's crooked smile lifted Paige's spirits as she made her way through to the back room. When she got there however, she found that she could not remember where the control system was.

"Aww crap! Good time to get forgetful Paige!" She muttered to herself.

"But don't all Halliwell women get forgetful when they're pregnant?"

Paige's breath caught in her throat and her heart began pumping in fear. She did not jump when the door slammed shut and was not surprised when she found she could not orb. The voice that had just spoken sent shivers up and down her spine. The voice that could only belong to the one thing she had been dreading since she had missed her period: the voice of Decron.

AN- Oooh, My first cliffhanger! DUN DUN DUN! I guess you'll have to wait until next time…but until then, you could always review! (Geez, I know how to be subtle…) My flying monkeys are currently holidaying in New York City, so I can't threaten you with them this week but I'd still appreciate a review anywayz! Lol! & I would be eternally grateful if someone could explain the American school system to me for later chapters- thanks muchly!


	9. Oh Boy!

Disclaimer- I do not own charmed.

I take it not many people are big fans of cliffhangers…figures! So I decided to give you a treat and update today. I'm really stuck on the chapter I'm currently writing (12). I have a plot, but my Muse seems to have gone on holiday with the monkeys… But anyway, thank you soooo much for the reviews! You all rock like cheese on a stick!

Wyatt333- Thanks! Here's the next instalment. About the third child-you'll see (glad to see sum1 still remembers that comment: it is important.) The baby's powers will be explored next chapter and there is a reason behind it having none. You picked up on MJ's demonic nature- very observant. It too, will be explored soon! I'll list the kids' powers under all my replies for you (soz if it was confusing).

Cutleryismyfriend- Thanks for your review! & I hope you enjoy getting rid of the 'twits'. I can imagine they are the same all over the world- I have many 'twits' in my school too!

Paige Halliwell- Yay a new reviewer! & I have another Mark fan :D! & An Anti-Phoebe too! Wow! Thanks for your reviews!

Jackie67- Ah, the only person to pick up on what Prue said! Well done! Thanks so much!

The Kids' Powers are as follows:

Prue- Telekinetic Orbing, levitating. She can also sense her mother and father.

Laura- freezing, blowing things up (though she can only do this when she's angry) and orbing.

MJ- fireballs and shimmering (note. These are both demonic.)

I'll give you all a look to the future and tell you the powers that are still to come: telepathy, telekinesis, premonitions, ice and fire-starting, some with whitelighter abilities also. (These are in no particular order.)

Anyways, I won't keep you in anticipation any longer! Enjoy! & Review…

Laur xXx

**Chapter9-Oh Boy!**

"It isn't polite not to answer me half-breed. Now turn round!"

Decron raised his hand and smacked Paige hard across the head. She spun round and went hurtling to the floor, landing awkwardly on her right wrist, which Paige was sure she felt snap. However, she ignored the pain and glared into Decron's one good eye, hoping that her fear would not show. How the heck had he known she was pregnant when she wasn't even sure herself?

"It's also not polite to hit a lady." She spat back. Her verbal insults were all she had now as she had discovered her witch powers were also disabled.

"Is that what you think you are? A lady? Where I come from half-breeds aren't considered as human!"

Paige was slightly taken aback. Decron had a slight hint of resentment in his voice. She decided to take this opportunity to provoke him even more- maybe if she could get him to shout, Mark would hear him. "Yeah, but where you come from, a cross between breeds is going to be too ugly to even consider it as an ogre!" The insult had not been particularly good, but it was riling the demon quite enough for Paige.

"Do you see Belthazor as human?" Decron hissed back, "Do you see _me_ as human?"

"No I see you as a dem- wait? You're half human!" It suddenly dawned on Paige that he must have had some human blood in him to want to seek revenge for his brother's death. Why didn't she see it before?

"Oops. Did I let that slip? Pity you won't be able to share it with anyone. You'll be _dead_!"

Paige recoiled as Decron raised his hand. It was suddenly as if the world were playing in slow motion and a million thoughts came rushing through Paige's mind. She was terrified. Not of what Decron were going to do to her, but what he was going to do to her baby. She had never expected another, least not yet. A small glint of happiness shone through her fear and for a moment, Paige was imagining life with two children. The fireball that had now formed in the demon's large hand quashed this happy image. Her thoughts turned to Laura: if this was the end for Paige, she would be leaving behind the most precious thing in the entire world. She had to do something, but what? Decron would get her whatever she did. She and the baby were doomed.

"You know this seems sort of anti-climactic, don't you think?" Decron asked menacingly, he was bouncing his fireball up and down in his palm, bearing all of his rotting teeth in a grin. "And I'm pretty sure your whitelighter won't be able to heal you…I've blocked his orbing for twenty four hours- a little potion you've tried before Paige. And apparently you've been drinking Leo's water today because you can't orb either…pity; I was really looking forward to a chase. Now half-breed, any last requests?"

Of course, being a demon, Decron was not going to give Paige any of the last wishes she actually had. He raised his hand and hurled the fireball towards her cowering form. Paige had given in to her brave façade now: Decron had already won. She let the tears creep down her face and let out a blood-curling scream. The last thing she saw was Decron's malicious grin and then her world went black.

Phoebe slipped the coins into the payphone and dialled her father's number, balancing Prue on one hip.

"Hello, Victor Bennet speaking."

"Daddy!" Phoebe squealed.

"Phoebe, how nice to hear from you. How's Melinda-Jayne doing?"

"She's doing great dad, but your third niece is about to be born so I'm thinking she's the one you should be asking about."

"What- Piper's having the baby? Are you at Memorial? I'll be right there!"

"I'm sure Piper and little Amy will be waiting for you." Phoebe replied with a smile.

"Amy? Wasn't that the name of Leo's mother?"

"Yeah Dad, but I'm thinking you should get in your car and drive and not stand speaking to me all day."

"See you in half an hour."

"Bye"

With that, Phoebe hung up and returned her attention to the small glass panel in the wooden door where she could almost make out Leo's head. Piper howled in agony as she pushed again. Leo was by her side and she knew Phoebe was just outside the door talking with Victor on the payphone. She had been at the hospital for only fifteen minutes and already; the baby was half way out.

"I thought it would be easier with drugs!" Piper yelled, "Bunch of crap if you-" her sentence was cut short as she pushed again and let out another scream.

"You're doing fine honey." Leo tried to reassure her.

"Yes Mrs Halliwell-Wyatt, you're doing incredibly well. Only one more push."

Piper couldn't help but be gob smacked. She had apparently been fully dilated by the time they reached the hospital and whilst at P3, Piper had not even noticed. When the doctor told her that it was just one more push, she could almost feel Phoebe's envy through the door. _Here goes nothing_ she thought and then the room filled with yet another ear piercing scream.

One minute later, the doctor was handing Piper and Leo a small bundle of crying blue blankets- wait BLUE!

"Congratulations. You have a boy!"

Piper and Leo stared in awe at their son, beaming. A boy. Nobody had been expecting that. However, the Halliwell-Wyatts could not have been more overjoyed. Now they had a daughter and a son. The first boy in the Halliwell family for generations and he was theirs. Tears were running down both their faces as they took in the marvellous sight of their son: piercing green eyes like his father, a tiny button nose, a mole just to the left of his mouth and a small tuft of mouse-brown hair on his head. He was a very handsome baby boy.

Mark dropped the wine glass on the floor and it shattered into thousands of pieces. He raced down the corridor to where he had just heard his wife's screams and charged through the small door. He saw Decron looming over Paige's motionless body and his heart shattered much like the glass.

"You BASTARD!" He screamed loudly, sending bolts of electricity towards the towering, pitch black, demon, "What have you done?"

Decron's lips twisted into an evil grin and stood, unaffected by Mark's powers. "It's not worth trying puny witch!" He hissed gleefully, "I am unvanquishable! Now there will be no second child! Let alone a third child! Good riddance _Spanky_!"

As Decron began to flame out, a fireball hurtled towards Mark, but he avoided it by inches. When only he and his wife's body remained, he dropped to his knees and sobbed over Paige. Her chest was bleeding uncontrollably and a trail of blood was trickling from her nose.

"Paige, you can do this! You can fight it!" He choked, wrapping her body in his arms, "I love you so much… I'm nothing without you!" He felt like the world had come crashing down around him. The only woman he had ever loved was gone and he wanted to curl up and die next to her. "Please don't go…"

That was when he felt it. It was incredibly faint, but Paige still had a pulse. Mark's tears subsided and he looked to the skies. "LEO!"

Prue had joined her family on the small hospital bed and was thinking long and hard about the decision her parents had asked her to make. After a lot of discussion, Piper and Leo had asked their daughter to think of a name for her brother. Somehow, they did not think that Amy Patricia Halliwell-Wyatt was going to do the trick, and there weren't a lot of males in the family for inspiration. Prue's eyes suddenly lit up and she giggled at her Aunt Phoebe.

"I likes Billy!" She declared. Since Phoebe had received the extended edition for christmas, 'Kill it Before it Dies' had not left the video player and Prue had picked up on Phoebe's liking of Billy Applebee.

"Hmm," Leo contemplated, "William?"

"I dated a Billy once…sorry honey that's a no-no!"

"But Mommy, what goes good with Prue?"

That was when it hit Piper. She had a sudden epiphany and her eyes lit up with glee. "Prudence Louise Halliwell-Wyatt, you are a genius!" She squealed. 'What goes good with Prue?' There was only one answer to this question and it was the perfect one. When considering all of the male influences in her life, Piper, somehow, had forgotten this man. "Andy!" She beamed. Andrew Trudeau had been the love of her older sister's life and he had died saving the sisters; this was the perfect way to commemorate him. "Andrew Victor Halliwell –Wyatt!"

Leo's pleased expression soon dropped and he jumped off the bed, almost forgetting about the tiny baby in his arms. His heart raced in panic as he realised he still could not orb. "Paige needs healing!" He told the room urgently. "And I can't orb!"

Before anyone could ask what was wrong or give a possible solution, Leo had disappeared in a cloud of bright lights. Apparently their worries of the baby having absolutely no powers were unnecessary. He arrived in the back room of P3 where he noticed Mark kneeling on the floor, covered in blood and leaning over his wife's body.

"Heal her NOW!" He screamed loudly, causing Andy to cry. "Sorry but…"

"It's okay, I understand. Hold him for me will you?" Leo passed his son to Mark and began to heap Paige straight away.

Relief washed over Mark as Paige's wound decreased and her chest began to rise and fall, then something registered in his mind. "You had a _boy_?" Now that he was sure Paige was going to be okay, he took a moment to look at the tiny baby he held in his arms. He looked a lot like Piper, but he had Leo's eyes and sandy hair.

"Yeah." Leo replied beaming with pride, "Andrew."

"Andrew who?" Paige asked, sitting up and rubbing her eyes when a sudden realisation dawned on her and she remembered what happened. "Leo, heal my stomach!" She yelled urgently.

"Don't worry Paige, I sensed another life in there and already did. Congratulations."

Paige leapt to her feet and ignored the pain in her broken wrist, which Leo had not yet healed and went to wrap her arms around Mark. She stopped when she saw the baby and let out a squeal of delight.

"You had a boy?"

"Yep, I think we need to get back to Piper if you guys don't mind."

"Sure," Mark handed Andy back to Leo and wrapped Paige up in his arms, not ever wanting to let go. "I thought I'd lost you!" He removed his head from the top of hers and looked her in the eyes, "Both of you…apparently!" His smile widened and he had never loved Paige more in his life. "Don't ever do that to me again!"

"I can't promise that," Paige replied and her expression saddened greatly, "Decron won't stop until I'm dead." She began to tremble and Mark tightened his embrace, as if his arms would protect her from all dangers. "I'm scared Mark."

"Don't be," He said bravely, but was hiding his own fear, "I'll always be here to protect you."

"Um…you guys?" Leo interrupted timidly, "Can we get going?"

"Sorry Leo," Paige said, brushing away her tears with her left hand, as her right was still broken. "I guess my nephew- god that sounded weird- well I guess he had powers after all."

"Whitelighter powers, at least…"

The four disappeared in white lights and reappeared moments later in a hospital bathroom. Leo opened the door to reveal Piper's room and waved at his wife, daughter and father-in-law. He carried the tiny baby back to his mother and left Paige and Mark alone again.

Paige had broken down upon their arrival at the hospital. Piper left Andy and Prue in the care of Victor and Leo and she and Phoebe made there way over to their sister, Phoebe placing a concerned hand on Paige's shoulder. She had no doubt who was behind this and she was pissed. Decron ruined every happy moment for Paige and according to Leo, had just ruined the discovery of her second pregnancy.

They ushered Paige over to the armchair in the corner of the room where she choked out the entire story. Mark did not let go of his wife's hand once. Once she had explained everything and Leo had healed her wrist, Paige ordered Leo and Prue to go and pick up Laura. By this time it was eleven thirty and ten minutes after Laura's arrival, mother and daughter drifted to sleep in Mark's protective embrace.

Paige awoke early the next morning after some advice from her mothers- both of them. Rachael Matthews and Patricia Halliwell had appeared in her dream and talked her through her current situation, giving advice only mothers' could give. Of course, Paige was feeling a lot better now that she had spoken to both of her mothers, but was slightly shocked to find herself in the Manor. She was on the loveseat in the basement and she could make out the reflection of her husband getting dressed in the mirror. Laura's head was resting on Paige's lap and her tiny hands were running over her mother's stomach.

"Mommy?" She asked, "How'd baby get there?"

"Um…Ask Aunt Phoebe, okay Pixie?"

"Otay."

"Um, Pixie, how did Mommy get home from the hospital?"

"I orbdid you!" she replied proudly.

Laura continued to stare curiously at her mother's stomach, mumbling to herself and occasionally giggling when she caught Paige's eye. Meanwhile, Mark had made his way over to the loveseat and had his arm wrapped around his wife's waist.

"Are you okay sweetheart?" He whispered in her ear, concerned that his wife was still in shock.

"I'm not going to be 'okay' until he's gone for good." Paige replied. Despite her mothers' advice and reassurance, she could still not let go of her fear for Decron. "But he's not going to stop me living my life. Pretty soon we'll have two kids to protect and we need to be there for them both, y'know?"

Mark's mind suddenly jumped back to the night before. Decron had said something about the second child, and the third, but what? He kicked himself mentally and fought hard to remember, but he had been so grief stricken by finding Paige almost dead that everything was just a blur. He knew that Decron had mentioned something, but for now he was going to enjoy his family.

"I know that Decron is a threat to us, but for now, I'm happy." Paige continued. She smiled and relaxed into her husband's warm embrace. Laura joined the hug and the Anderson family sat together enjoying some quality family time.

Upstairs, Leo had just joined his wife and children on the couch. He, much like Mark, had them in a protective embrace and he was smiling a fatherly smile. Prue shuffled onto her father's knee and stared lovingly at her baby brother, who was sound asleep in his mother's arms. Piper too, was nodding off after being kept awake all night by a crying baby boy and a deep concern for her youngest sister. Leo basked in his family's happiness and kissed the top of Prue's head.

"I love you guys," He whispered.

"We love you too," Piper replied sleepily, though genuinely. Even though her worry for the Andersons was prominent in her mind, she had never been happier. She smiled, taking in the scene around her: the love of her life, their beautiful two and a half year old daughter and their sleeping twelve hour old son; perfect.

Across town, unknown to Phoebe, a new chapter of her life was just beginning. She wheeled the stroller into the Bay Mirror and she most certainly did not need a premonition to know what Elise's reaction was going to be. Her new boss was due to arrive today and bringing Melinda-Jayne to work with her was not likely to get her on his good side. However, as long as she was going to hand her column in on time, she hoped that Mr Dean's policies on babies in the workplace would not affect her negatively. (AN- I know a lot of people don't like Jason, but I thought he and Phoebe were cute together.)

As usual when she brought MJ to work, she was greeted by affectionate 'aww's of female employees. She stopped to explain why she was late to her assistant and tried desperately to avoid Elise's glare.

"I'm so sorry I'm late! Piper had the baby last night and I had to drive her home from hospital this morning."

"Another girl, right?" Jenna, her assistant, replied. Apparently everyone had noticed the strange amounts of girls born into the Halliwell family.

"Nope. Andrew Victor Halliwell-Wyatt, eight pounds ten ounces. First boy in generations!"

"How many of you are in that house now?"

"Um…nine. I guess it will be ten soon though because Paige is pregnant, but we'll be one short whenever MJ goes to visit her dad."

"So you're divorced then?" A new voice asked.

Phoebe spun round to come face to face with the most handsome man she had seen since…ever! He had mouse-brown curls and big blue eyes which twinkled with a childlike innocence. He was smiling at Phoebe and she couldn't help but smile back when her empathy powers picked up that he thought she was gorgeous.

"Um, actually we were never married…" Phoebe told the stranger, hoping he did not think she was a slut. (AN-Do you need to ask what was going through my mind when I wrote that? Lol!) "But we were together. Not anymore though."

"Well, normally I wouldn't want babies in the office, but under the circumstances I'm sure I can forgive my new favourite advice columnist. You are Phoebe Halliwell, right?"

"Oh my God! _You're_ Mr Dean?"

"Jason, please,"

Wow, that… that's some weird stuff because you're really... young!"

"I'm glad _someone_ considers thirty-five as young! My sister is frequently telling me I'm old! Now that little cutie on the other hand- how old?"

"Five months on the sixteenth." Phoebe replied, "I don't normally bring her in but her Dad had a meeting and my sister just had a baby so…"

"It's fine really, just don't make a habit of it. There's already one beautiful woman here to distract the employees."

"Thanks…" Phoebe blushed crimson and avoided the stare of her giggling assistant. Jason Dead was hitting on her and the fact that she was a single mother of a five-month-old baby was not putting him off. "I, um…I've just got to hand in my column."

Phoebe left MJ under the watch of Jenna and slipped into Elise's office where she let out a whistle and fanned herself with her column. "Whoa, I'm diggin' the new boss!" She told Elise, blushing.

"And from what I heard out there, he's 'digging' you too." Elise replied slyly, "Is this your column?"

"Yeah…"

Phoebe handed over the sheet of paper she was holding and made her way back to her own office. Her smile broadened as she saw Jason Dean lean over the pram and play with her daughter. MJ was laughing and apparently did not disapprove of her mother's new love interest.

"So, um, Mr Dean?"

"Jason."

"Jason, would you like a tour?"

"Of course." He replied, "And if you'll be the one giving the tour then even better,"

Once again, Phoebe left her daughter under the watchful eye of her assistant, took Jason's arm and led him out of the cubical. This was going to be the beginning of a beautiful friendship…or perhaps something more.

AN- You like? I HAD to put some P/L fluff in this chap! It was killing me! My Piper plot line isn't coming up for a while and I just felt that this chapter would be the perfect place for fluff! I strongly hope my muse returns soon! Anyways, please review and you will all be blessed with cheese! See y'all next Sunday!

Laur x

PS. How Scrumptious was Agent Brody on Thursday's episode? YUM!


	10. The Gift of Power

I do not own charmed

Howdy doody! Thanks for the reviews and may I just say "Mon aeroglisseur est pleine d'anguille" (It means: My hovercraft is full of eels! LOL- Don't you just love Monty Python?)

Cutleryismyfriend- I can't believe they killed him! Sniff! But still scrumptious :p we always have reruns & ur fantabulous story to keep him alive! Thanks for your review!

Passions- Thanks! & You'll see in the next chapter about the baby! ;)

Jackie67-Not many people like Jason, glad to see sum1 else does! & OMG! Agent Brody does look like Cole Jr! lol

Wyatt333- Thanks for giving me the correct names of those powers! I was actually gonna ask if anyone knew them in an authors note so thanks! & He calls her a half-breed because he resents the fact she is accepted for it and he isn't. & You're welcome! Actually, though it doesn't seem that way yet, Piper is my fave sister! (& No, she is NOT going to die! How could I do that to Piper? I think it is clear who the first sister to die will be (even tho I'm actually warming to season seven Phoebe…SHOCK SHOCK HORROR HORROR!)…but that won't be for a while yet!) It is quite Paige centric at the moment, but each sister will have their time to shine! Btw, your first review was chapter three so you haven't reviewed chapter 2 either (so subtle, aren't I? lol!) Once again, thanks!

Peanutlb- I loved Andy! I actually got annoyed when Piper didn't consider his name for Wyatt! And as for Jason Dean, I always liked him so yeah, I'm gonna pair him with Phoebe! Not many people seem to, but I thought he was sweet. I always say it, but I figure if Phoebe had actually told him about magic herself he'd have accepted it. Thanks for the review!

Anywayz…the eagerly awaited chapter ten is here! I planned on having Paige's baby born this chapter but it was MILES too long! It will be here soon though! My Muse seems to have extended her vacation! & My spell writing in this chapter (and all others- lol) kinda sucks, but lets just pretend it's up to charmed standard… Enjoy & Review…please!

May the Cheese be with you!

Laur xXx

**Chapter10- The gift of power**

Piper set a plate on pancakes down in front of her youngest sister and smiled; realising Paige had fallen asleep at the table. Paige had been doing this a lot for the past month. It was early September and her due date was three weeks away, but the unborn baby was beginning to get restless, keeping Paige up at all hours of the night. On this misty, September morning, the three charmed ones had been planning to move Laura's stuff from the basement into Paige's old bedroom, which she would share with Prue. Because it was only eight thirty and MJ was at her father's Phoebe wouldn't be up for at least another hour, so her sisters and their daughters were planning to start the day without her.

"Auntie Paige! Your pancakes is ready!" Prue yelled.

"Rumplestiktskin!" Paige mumbled sleepily, rubbing her eyes and yawning before she realised where she was. "I can't wait until I can drink coffee again..."

"Baby here yet?" Laura asked. Although her Aunt Phoebe had attempted to explain how babies were born, Laura still did not fully grasp the concept. Now she was under the impression that the stork would deliver her baby sister when she was ready.

"Not yet Pixie," Paige said through a yawn, "Soon."

"You's a sleepy giwl Mommy!" Laura giggled, sitting down on the floor at her mother's feet, "You should go backs to beddy!"

"Did your Daddy tell you to say that?"

Laura stood up, only just small enough not to bang her head on the table, and grinned mischievously at her mother. She twirled one of her dark curls around her finger and pulled on the bottom of her lilac, Tinkerbelle pyjama shirt with an odd look of innocence about her.

"Maybe…"She said laughing.

"Oh my god, she looks so much like you when she does that!" Piper gasped.

"That's why she's my beautiful little girl." Came a new voice as Mark appeared from the basement. Unlike the occupants of the kitchen, he was fully dressed and looking wide-awake. He picked up his daughter and kissed her forehead before placing her onto a chair next to Prue. "You be good for Mommy and your Aunties, okay Pixie?"

"Pwomise Daddy!"

"Wait, where are you going?" Piper asked, knowing Paige was not awake enough to register what Mark had said.

"Leo, Andy and I are going grocery shopping!" He said, "And don't worry, we'll be back before you can say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious…or of course you could say dociousaliexpiisticfragicalirepus, but that's taking it a bit too far, don't you think?" (AN-I was so proud when I learned how to say that! Now I can be the next Julie Andrews…yeah right!)

"Mark, if I didn't know that Paige loved you, I'd say you watch way too many musicals for a straight guy!"

"Hey, you can't question my sexuality when Phoebe's dating Mr 'I wake up ten minutes earls so I can make sure my hair doesn't fall out of place'! What a loser!"

Jason Dean had asked Phoebe out after only one week of arriving in San Francisco and after six and a half months, they were still going strong. The unfortunate thing was, Jason and Cole had crossed paths before and neither seemed to be very fond of the other. Cole was definitely not happy about MJ spending so much time with Phoebe's beau, but was learning to accept that he had no influence on his ex's choice in men and besides, he was still very in love with Danielle. And because Cole was Mark's best friend, the nauctater had a rather low opinion on Jason too.

"Spanky, Cole's happy with Danni, just leave it at that okay?" Paige had now slightly perked up after her husband's arrival and was wolfing down her breakfast like there was no tomorrow.

"Sorry Sweetie." Mark said, kissing his wife's forehead and departing with a wave.

"Bye guys! We'll be back soon!" Leo's voice came from the foyer, followed by the banging of the front door.

Paige and Piper shared a smile and continued with their breakfast. It was not long, however, until the 'normal' morning in the Halliwell Manor was brought to an abrupt stop. The two sisters stood at the sink; Piper washing, Paige drying and the girls running around the table playing tag, when the eldest Charmed One let out a howl of agony. She fell to the floor, clutching her blooded leg, where the athame had just hit and snapped into mother mode.

"Girls, orb into your room and stay there until we come and get you! NOW!"

Luckily, Laura and Prue did not turn to see the horrifying demon which stood only meters away from them. His skin was a putrid shade of green and was covered in what appeared to be third degree burns. His eye sockets were empty, but residing in the centre of his wrinkled forehead was a single eyeball. He wore no clothes, but a ragged grey loincloth and every inch of his chest was covered in cobwebs.

"I've brought you a message from my master." The demon snarled. Ironically enough, he sounded almost like Dick Van-Dyke in Mary Poppins.

"Let me guess," Paige snapped back, "Decron?"

"He said you'd guess that, half-breed."

"Urgh! Why do people keep calling me that?"

"Because it's what you are: a filthy half-breed!

"So is your master, you great oaf! And what the hell is the message?" Piper yelled, "What are you, the demon of sloth?"

"Not quite." The demon grinned menacingly and turned to face Paige, "The message was that the next time you hear from him, you won't be able to escape."

"What the hell kinda message is that?" Piper threw out her hands attempting to blow up the demon, but unfortunately it backfired and he deflected it straight back at the two witches. The blast knocked Paige from her feet and on reflex; she orbed herself behind the demon. When she reappeared in the familiar cloud of lights, she noticed the huge energy ball in his left hand, which he was aiming directly for her sister.

"Oh my God! Piper!" Paige's tone was panicked and she threw out her arms, hoping with all her might that her powers would be strong enough to orb Piper from the spot she was in. However, much to both sisters' shock, Paige grew suddenly cold and a huge burst of ice emitted from her palms. Paige was so shocked that the next thing she knew, the demon was trapped inside an ice sculpture of himself. "Good baby!"

"Now that's a freezing power with kick!" Piper exclaimed, "You think it was the baby?"

"Who else could it have been? I mean, that's Mrs Anderson's power so the baby must take after Grandma!"

"Wow! So, what do we do with Mr Frosty here?" Piper attempted to stand, but found the pain in her leg was too much.

"Um…smash him?"

"Good thinking Batman!"

Paige proceeded to lift one of the stools from the ground and threw it violently at the ice sculpture. It smashed into thousands of pieces and even before they all hit the ground, they had disappeared into tiny flames.

"Let the object of objection become but a dream as I cause the scene to be unseen," Paige said and sighed happily as the kitchen restored to its original state. "And now, to call a whitelighter: LEO!"

Seconds later, the heavenly handyman appeared. He took one look at the pool of blood that was coming from Piper's leg and knelt to heal her immediately.

"What happened?" He asked, helping Piper to her feet.

"We got sent a messenger." Paige replied angrily, "I'll give you two guesses who sent him."

Leo did not need to think twice after Paige stormed out of the back door. He looked at Piper with a feeling of helplessness in his heart and sighed. Piper had the same distant look of sympathy in her eyes and kicked one of the chairs. Leo came up behind her and pulled her into a hug. He kissed her hair and whispered softly in her ear, "We _will_ vanquish him."

However, it was not just Decron that was playing on Piper's mind. Another thing that was worrying her was Andy's curious absence of witch powers. For a four month old he had very precise control over his orbing, but had still shown no signs of a Wiccan ability. At first they had wondered about him being able to receive premonitions, but ever since Grams had visited, Piper was convinced Andrew had no powers because he was male. What she did not know was that one of her worries was to be lost very soon.

Exactly one week later, Phoebe walked sleepily down the stairs with MJ resting on her hip and yawned as she made her way towards the kitchen where the cup of coffee she so desperately needed was waiting. Piper and Leo were sitting at the table, deep in conversation and they seemed to pay no attention when Phoebe sauntered in.

"Piper, where's the coffee?" Phoebe asked bluntly, placing MJ in the high chair, which was not already occupied by Andrew.

"Where it usually is Phoebs!" Piper replied laughing at her sister's lack of energy.

"Is it leaded?"

"You know you really are turning into Prue!"

"Yeah, minus the cool powers!" Phoebe mumbled, slouching into a chair and savouring the smell of her freshly poured coffee.

"Shh!" Piper snapped, her attitude suddenly changing, "Do not mention the 'P' word in front of Andy! He might get a little sensitive!"

"Piper, he's four months old! He has plenty time to grow into his powers. Just because Grams doesn't approve of males, doesn't mean that the elders don't."

"Bu-"

"Speaking of elders," Leo cut in, sensing the argument that was about to take place, "They told me that we'd be getting a visit today."

"From who? An elder?"

"Or a demon?" Phoebe asked, ignoring her sister's glare and beginning to cut up a banana for her daughter's breakfast.

"Neither." Leo replied, "I have no idea whose coming, but I'm assuming they're about to tell me. They're calling. See you guys!"

"Woah! The elders are doing something nice! That's a first!" Piper replied with a smirk as she watched her husband orb out.

"I wonder who they're sending."

"I don't know Phoebe's, but whoever it is, they won't want to see me in my PJs!"

Piper left the kitchen with her son and made her way to the stairs, silently pondering who the visit could be from. There was one person Piper hoped it would be, but doubted with all of her heart that she would be allowed to se her. Before she was even half way up the stairs, she heard Paige singing, which meant the youngest charmed one was in the upstairs shower. This also meant that Prue and Laura were alone in the bedroom and if their recent behaviour was anything to go by, they would be getting up to no good. Piper's heart stopped as she heard a scream emitting from the girls' bedroom.

The two cousins sat on the end of Prue's bed with their heads in their hands, looking very bored. Laura, who, even at a young age, was becoming a neat freak, began to rearrange her cousin's stuffed animals. When she picked up 'Whiskers', her brown beanbag cat, her eyes lit up with glee.

"I gotsa idea Pwue!" She declared, "We can magic Whiskas into a weal kitty!"

"Yeah!" Prue agreed, "But we is not rhymey."

"We is too! Watch…I want a kitty, make it pwetty, I wants it now, I don't cawe how!"

Laura squealed in delight as her spell began to take effect. The room was filled with a bright white light and when it faded, Laura noticed the small brown kitten sitting next to her.

"Yay Pwue! I maded a weal spell!" She declared, but when she noticed Prue's curious absence, she let out a scream. "Uh oh!"

Laura began to run from the room and just as she reached the door, she walked into her Aunt Piper. Guilty tears began to form in her eyes and she looked up with a trembling lip. Her mother soon appeared on the scene looking like she had dressed in the dark and just as panicked as Piper.

"I's sowee Auntie Pipey…I did not mean to…"

"Pixie, what did you do?" Paige asked, kneeling down to brush away Laura's tears.

"I turneded Pwue into a kitty!"

"Oh…"

"You WHAT?" Piper snapped, "Where is she?"

"On da beddy!" Laura said with a sniff. She looked up at her mother and aunt with a look of fear. She knew she should not have been using magic for personal gain and was waiting to get yelled at, but the thing that surprised Laura was that her mother did not look angry, almost proud.

"You made up a spell powerful enough to do that?" Paige asked, picking up Laura and kissing her forehead. "All by yourself?"

"Uhu…" Laura replied uncertainly.

"My little Pixie is a genius!" Paige beamed at Laura.

"Paige! Prue is a_ cat_! We have to turn her back, now!" Piper snapped and her sister's face fell. "Laura, you should know not to use magic irresponsibly. And Paige, you should know not to encourage her. Go to the attic, I'll get Prue."

Paige was slightly shocked at Piper's sudden bitchiness, but did as Piper had asked and started on her way up the stairs. She assumed it was because, between working until all hours at P3 and raising two magical children, Piper had no time for herself. Of course, on top of this, the eldest charmed one had her worries of Andrew's lack of witch powers and the constant threat of demons, so when Paige thought about it, she understood. Although Paige was only short while away from becoming the mother of two magical children, she had no job to worry about and there was no risk of her husband orbing 'up there' when he was looking after the kids. Thinking about it, Piper had every right to be a bitch- especially since her daughter was now a cat.

It was just as Paige placed Laura on the love seat that she realised what she was wearing. She had been so panicked after hearing her daughter scream that she had ended up with a pair of red jogging trousers and a lime green maternity blouse which she had buttoned only at the top. (AN- You never know with Paige, she may actually decide to wear that out of choice! But for the purposes of the not-very-important paragraph, Paige has some style…) She covered Laura's eyes so not to set a bad example and silently orbed a different outfit onto herself. When she looked up again, she noticed Mark standing in the doorway grinning.

"That power of yours is mighty handy!" He said laughing, "Now I know why Laura thinks it's okay to turn Prue into a cat. She takes after you."

Mark grinned teasingly and moved towards his wife. It was then that Paige noticed the small, black and very alert kitten in the palm of his hand. Oddly enough, the raven coat and huge brown eyes made it look almost like the three-year-old girl. Perhaps not as pretty as when in human form, but she definitely made a pretty cat. Paige was about to praise her daughter's spell casting again, when Leo, a now dressed Piper, Phoebe, Andrew and MJ came hurrying in.

"Okay…" Paige mumbled before voicing her thoughts, "What's with the family gathering? All we're doing is changing Prue back."

"Beats the hell out of me!" Piper replied, "but Leo just told us to come up here."

"God damn cryptic whitelighters!" Phoebe muttered directing a glare at Leo.

"Has anyone got a shape shifting reversal spell handy?"

"Paige, how long have we been doing this now? Just improvise…um…My daughter's a cat, I don't like that, return her to her natural state, make it now 'cause I can't wait."

A bright light filled the room and when it dimmed, Prue was sitting in her uncle's arms. She looked relieved but very angry.

"Laura! You maked me a cat!" She scolded and crossed her arms.

"Are you okay honey?" Piper asked.

"Yeah, I guess so. I was not knowing that kitties see only in grey."

"C'mere sweetie, you were very brave." Leo took Prue from Mark's arms and smiled knowingly. "Y'know, this sorta reminds me of the banshee incident…"

"Yeah, well at least we didn't have to clean up after her like we did with Prue." Phoebe mused and although everyone but Piper and Leo looked confused, she continued, "What is it with Prues and getting turned into household pets?"

"Yeah, well I certainly hope my three year old niece is not getting run over and picked up by hot guys…"

Piper and Phoebe's heads jerked upwards and they shared a silent conversation. Paige had never been told of the banshee incident and Phoebe would not be answering her own question. Besides, that voice could only belong to one person. Tears formed in each of their eyes and they turned to the doorway where she stood, looking not a day older than when she had died. She was as beautiful as ever: her long, dark hair swept her shoulders and her white dress gave her an even more angelic look. Her blue eyes filled with love as she turned to face them and she smiled her million dollar smile.

"Prue," Piper choked, handing Andrew to Mark and standing in shock. Phoebe placed MJ next to Laura and wiped away her own tears. Was she seeing things? Or was that really Prue. Both felt their hearts swell with anticipation and stood, fixed to the spot.

"Well, what the hell are you waiting for? Come give me a hug you big galloots!"

Yes, that was definitely Prue. Both Piper and Phoebe ran towards their oldest sister and wrapped their arms around her, never wanting to let go. Even Mark had tears in his eyes now.

"I missed you so much." Piper sobbed. "I thought I'd never see you again."

"I missed you guys too!" Prue replied softly, stroking her sister's hair.

"I can't believe you're here!" Phoebe said, standing back to take a look at Prue. "…why are you here?"

"Explain later, hug now."

Paige felt tears well up in her own eyes but she was unsure of whether they were tears of joy, jealousy or just 'the crying thing'. Watching all three of her sisters, the original charmed ones, share a hug, she could not help but feel like a spare tyre.

"Come on!" Prue said, gesturing for Paige to come join the hug, "I do have _three_ baby sisters, do I not?"

"Um…yeah…" Paige said, smiling shyly, "but my bump's sorta gonna get in the way of a group hug…" She felt kind of odd saying that to Prue as when she had summoned her two years ago, she had been talking about how scared she was of having Laura; now Paige was almost at her second child and, even if she did say so herself, she was a damn good mother!

Apparently, none of Paige's sisters had cared what her excuse was and were now squashing her in the middle of a huge cuddle. Paige relaxed and smiled. This was what she had wanted ever since she found her family: to be receiving a hug from all three of her big sisters.

"So…" Piper said when all the introductions to Mark and the kids were through and they had moved downstairs to the comfort of the living room, "Not that I amn't thrilled, but why are you here?"

"Well, you see…" Prue started and she took a seat on the arm of the sofa and continued, "That mainly involves my nephew… But, if someone didn't try and summon my butt down here soon I was gonna crack anyway!"

"Wait, Andrew? What's he got to do with it?"

"I come baring gifts!" Prue announced, "Of the magical variety."

"Still not following here honey," Phoebe said, slightly confused.

Prue took a look around the room and hesitated before she spoke. Piper was sitting with Andrew on her knee smiling broadly and her eyes still showed the remainder or happy tears; Phoebe, who was still in her pyjamas, was sitting on the floor, changing Melinda-Jayne's nappy; Paige, the sister Prue did not know she had until death and still did not know very well, was sat in an armchair, her arms cradling her very pregnant stomach; Leo, her angel of a bother-in-law, was playing horsey with his daughter, looking genuinely happy and Mark, a person she had never met, but already approved of, was massaging Paige's back and was keeping quiet so not to intrude. Laura seemed to have taken a liking to her Aunt Prue and was sitting on her knee and playing with her gold, hoop earrings in fascination. Her whole family had grown and changed in so many ways and Prue savoured the moment as much as she could, knowing that the quicker she told them why she was here, the sooner she would have to leave.

"Earth to Prue?" Phoebe said, waving her hand in Prue's face.

"Oh…sorry! What were we saying?"

"That you was given Andy a magic pwesent." Laura told her Aunt with a smile, "I once gived him chicky pox!"

"Did you?" Prue asked in a baby voice, "And where did you get them from?"

"Mikey," She said, referring to Darryl Morris's son, "He gived them to me and MJ and Shauna. They was so itchy!"

Prue's smile widened at the little girl sitting on her knee. She had never been given the chance to have children, but at least now, in heaven, she had Andy. Piper and Phoebe's eyes were still on her, waiting for an explanation. At least her youngest sister was not so persistent.

"Guys! She's been here for five minutes! Give the lady time to breath…wait, do you have to breath?"

"When I'm corporeal, yes Paige. And I'm telling you, it feels weird after four years of not breathing…"

"Right…sorry…"

"It's okay. Death is a natural part of life."

Prue placed Laura on the floor and picked at her cuticles. She wanted to avoid the topic of her death at all costs, especially in front of the kids. She decided that if she made Piper and Phoebe wait for her reason of being there any longer, they would crack. She walked over to Piper and took Andrew from her arms. Prue then moved to the back of the room where all eyes followed her and she began talking to her family.

"You may have noticed that Andrew has a curious lack of powers?"

"Yeah." Piper replied in confusion, "And call him Andy, he likes that better."

"Andy…hmm. Just like my Andy. He told me to tell you how honoured he was that you named your son after him." She smiled vacantly, thinking of her true love before realising all eyes were on her, "Anyway, back to what I was saying." Prue paused and averted her eyes so that she was looking at Mark, the only person, she felt, that was not waiting intently for an explanation. "The reason he has no Wiccan powers is, as you may have guessed, because the magic in the Halliwell line is passed through the female blood."

"What's that got to do with you?"

"Phoebs! I'm not finished yet!" Prue snapped playfully. It was just like the Phoebe she remembered to be childish and impatient. Although she had matured greatly, she had still not lost that trait. "I'm here to give Andy my powers." Andrew let out an excited squeal, as if acknowledging what his Aunt Prue was giving him and his green eyes lit up with delight.

"Are you sure Prue?" Piper questioned. She was unsure of what effect this may have on Prue, "You don't have to do this."

"Piper, I _want_ to do this. It's the least I can do!"

"Are you really sure?"

"Yes! I promise! Now come take your son whilst I perform the spell."

Piper smiled and moved towards Prue. She took Andy and rested him on her hip after kissing his sandy brown hair. She stepped back after being instructed to do so by her sister and watched as her son's expression turned to one of curiosity.

"Powers of the witches rise, course unseen across the skies, give my powers to my nephew here and rid my sister's heart of fear." Prue chanted and just as she had finished she shivered and a bright white ball of light lifted from her body.

The ball of light hung in the air for a moment before drifting towards Andrew, who had his hands outstretched and his moth open in awe. As it entered him a shiver ran down his spine, just like what had happened to Prue when her powers left. For a moment, the room sat in silence, as if waiting for something to go wrong, but the noise soon erupted when Andy waved his hands towards MJ and her pacifier came flying into his mouth.

"Now both my babies are telekinetic!" Piper squealed, but her happy expression soon left as she noticed the white light surrounding her big sister. "Prue! You can't leave yet!" She yelled and at this comment both of her younger sisters rose to their feet.

"I'm afraid I have to." Prue replied sadly, "This was all I was here to do."

"But-" Phoebe started, but Prue cut her off.

"You'll see me soon enough. I love you," She turned to Paige, "…All of you. Blessed be."

"Byeeee!" Yelled (little) Prue.

The Charmed ones slumped back down on their chairs and sighed, tears welling in each of their eyes. Prue was gone… again, but at least they had gotten to see her. And now one of Piper's problems was solved. The other, however, even though it was on no one's mind at the moment, was just as prominent.

AN- So, another chapter down! I know the whole Cat thing was a bit pointless, but I just wanted to show how complicated life with magical children is going to get! & Yay, I finally managed to post my second Prue chapter! I love writing those! I'm gonna give you a little bit of an insight into the future again and ask if you think I should write Cole's wedding? It won't be very action packed, just 'fluffy'. Tell me in your reviews (hint hint!) Onyhoo, tune in next week for another instalment of "As the Laur grows slightly more insane"…I mean 'A life of Magic'…heh…

Don't forget to review!

Laur xXx


	11. From Fear to an Entry

I do not own charmed

Hey dudes! How's it hangin in your most excellent worlds? (I've been watching 'Bill and Ted'. Can you tell?) Thanks for your reviews! I got fifty reviews, I got fifty reviews! Woohoo! –Laur prances around her study attempting to victory dance!- Whoohoo! When I first posted this fic I didn't think I'd get any-lol!

Passions- Thanks for your review! & Don't worry, none of the charmed ones will die soon! Glad you like Laura- I think she's my fave kid out of all eight that will be born. Thanks again!

Jackie67- Glad you liked it! And you sensed the return of Decron correctly! Prue will return again, don't worry. & Thanks.

Peanutlb- So glad you liked it! I thought you might like Prue's return! I was so chuffed that you said you 'absolutely loved' it! I got annoyed when they gave Piper boys too! I know some people will be angry with me, but yes, I plan on Cole getting married & more (you'll see in this chapter what I mean). I hadn't originally planned on it, but I couldn't have Cole all alone for the whole story! Also, it has helped me develop a little MJ subplot in later chapters so it works to the story's advantage!

Prince Halliwell (Dude, you changed your name! I was confused! Lol!)- Glad you liked the Prue giving Andy her powers thing! I was very proud of that idea! Yes, Phoebe is going to have another baby, but not yet. I'm going to write Cole's wedding, but it's screwed up my chapter order and I'm oh so confused! I think the review you gave me for chap2 must be the longest in the history of reviews ever- so this is the longest response ever! I'll try and answer your questions without giving too much away. Decron will return about…one quarter of the way down this page! No, Paige's next baby does not have both cryokinesis and pyrokinesis- just the one power. But you may have noticed that elemental powers run in the Anderson blood (that may give you a clue as to who the fire starter will be…) Phoebe will be the next to get pregnant in chapter13 but whether it's a boy or girl you'll have to wait and see! I'm trying hard to think of how to respond your other question, but I'll try my best not to give anything away.: Melinda Warren foresaw only one Power of Three. (This will become important much later on.) Hope that helps! & If you're an MJ fan, there will be a big MJ subplot in coming chapters, exploring her demonic side! And yes, I'm very glad that Les left too! Bring back Jason!

Cutleryismyfriend- There will be more Jason soon. You have a thing for coffee? I have one for tea. My brain doesn't function without it! Glad you liked the chapter and I hope you enjoyed your coffee…

DayDreama4eva12o- My fiftieth reviewer! YAY! I award you great cheeses! Thanks for the review!

Horseradish- I love your name! Very Random! Thanks for the review! & Because you asked, the dates of birth are posted at the bottom of the page.

OMG, my responses to reviews lasted over a page…oops! Glad you all liked the last chapter and the Laura turning Prue into a cat thing turned out to be a lot more popular than I thought it would be! I can't work out whether I like chapter one or not. It's not as good as I had originally planned, but what I had planned confused even me so, I went for a simpler version of the same thing…does that make sense? Anyway, the story is hopefully going to get exciting soon, but I think people will be angry with me… No expansion on that comment, just keeping all my loyal reviewers in suspense! Muahahahahaha! I am Evil+**Laur tries immensely hard to blink to her kitchen for a cup of tea, but discovers she does not actually have the magical powers she thinks she possesses- God Damn! I was really getting used to that freezing power+**

Tumteetum… Anyways my funky little friends enjoy and please review!

**Chapter11- From Fear to an Entry**

Melinda-Jayne's first birthday arrived too fast for Phoebe's liking. It seemed like hardly any time ago that she had been holding her daughter for the first time and now, MJ was walking all by herself and controlling her demonic tribal marks with ease (or so everyone thought). Phoebe handed MJ to Jason before she got up to answer the doorbell, and plastered a smile on her face, knowing it would be Cole and Danielle- his fiancée. (AN- that's right folks. Cole's getting married. I felt mean leaving him all alone…sniff…)

"Hi!" She greeted the couple, who were holding hands and looking overjoyed about something, "Come in."

"Thanks Phoebe," Cole replied as he and Danielle walked through the door. "Where's Daddy's little birthday girl?"

In the kitchen, MJ heard her father's voice and began toddling along the corridor at top speed as her eyes lit up in glee. She jumped into his arms and smiled shyly at Danielle.

"Hey there birthday girl! Guess what Daddy and Danni got you?" MJ shrugged and Danielle held out a bag of presents wrapped in shiny, silver paper, which the one year old reached out for and attempted to grab.

"Okay sweetie," Phoebe interrupted, addressing her daughter, "We can take them into the kitchen for you to open in there okay?"

As she led the two new party arrivals into the kitchen, she was glad that both Danielle and Jason had been informed of magic already. MJ took one look at her older cousins playing on the floor and shimmered from her father's arms.

"Woah…" Both Jason and Danielle gasped at the same time, Of course their respective partners had told them about magic, but neither had experienced it first hand. (I'm sticking to the 'if Phoebe had told Jason herself, he would have accepted magic' theory. Please don't get mad!) Mark seemed to find it amusing and started sniggering, however, a glare from Paige soon shut him up.

"Hi guys," The youngest Charmed one greeted from her seat at the kitchen table where she looked just about ready to fall asleep. "How are you?"

"Actually," Cole replied grinning, "We've never been better." He put his arms around Danielle and took a deep breath. "We're expecting a baby."

Paige let out an excited squeal and began clapping her hands, which Laura, although she had no idea of the reason why she was doing so, imitated. Piper put down the bowl of cookie dough she had been mixing and went to hug the happy couple. Leo congratulated them by giving them a pat on the back and Mark just winked, as if he had already been told. Phoebe was the last to say anything. Even Jason had uttered a "good luck" before the middle sister spoke.

"That's great guys," She said sincerely, "Congratulations."

"Thank you." Danielle replied shyly. For someone who looked so extravagant, she was very timid. "We're going to move the wedding to March so it's before the baby's born in May."

"Yeah." Cole said nodding, before bending down to pick up his daughter, "You hear that Melly? You're gonna have a baby brother or sister."

Melinda-Jayne's brow wrinkled in confusion and she looked from Cole and Danielle to Phoebe and Jason with a very curious expression on her face. Her breathing deepened and she shimmered back down to where Laura and Prue sat, playing with their toys without any acknowledgement of what Cole had just said.

Much to all the adult's surprise, the day went very smoothly. It wasn't until after Cole and his fiancée had left with MJ that anything strange happened at all. Paige, who had retired to her bedroom as soon as they had left, sat up in bed, drenched in a cold sweat with a terrible feeling in her gut. She looked at the clock and realised that it was only eleven thirty so everyone would still be upstairs. Unfortunately, this meant that they would all fuss over her if she went upstairs, telling her that she needed rest.

Just to spite them all, Paige began to climb the stairs, rather than orb up to the kitchen. As far as she was concerned, being pregnant did not make you disabled. Although she had a very worried feeling in the pit of her stomach, she failed to search the darkness of her room. If she had done so, she would have noticed the large, menacing demon smirking to himself and another in the corner: This plan was sure to work.

"Do it now you fool." Decron spat at the unknown demon, who was lurking in the shadows.

"I have been doing this for more than thirteen thousand years." The demon snarled back with disgust. How could this demon tell him how to face the Charmed Ones? "And trust me, I've faced these witches too many times to remember."

"Well get on with it!"

Paige searched high and low for her camomile tea, but was unsuccessful in finding it. What she really wanted was coffee, but unfortunately, being pregnant, she could not drink it. As Paige made her was out of the kitchen to ask one of her sisters where the tea was, she stopped in her tracks. Apparently, her wishes for coffee were going to be granted sooner than she had thought: Paige's waters had just broken.

"Ma-" She started to shout for her husband, but a ragged piece of old cloth being swung around her neck silenced her. Paige spun and found herself face to face with the one yellow eye of her arch nemesis: Decron. The panic surged through her body as memories of Laura's birth flooded her mind. She had almost lost her first daughter to this demon; there was no way she was going to lose this baby. She made to scream again, but Decron pulled a long, silver athame from his sleeve and held it to her stomach.

"One sound and it's over." Decron growled.

"Screw you!" Paige retaliated, deliberately spitting in his face. She continued the brave front until the felt the blade make a small cut on her flesh.

"I suppose this exercise is pointless seeing as your family is already dead." Decron told her calmly.

Paige felt her heart sink. He was lying…he had to be. But then she noticed the unusual silence of the busy house and her worry grew more. She tried to pull herself together, but as her first contraction came, she could not help but let tears out. "Prove it," She told him with the last ounce of hope she had left.

"If you wish…"

A cold cackle filled the air as Decron removed the cloth from Paige's neck and waved his hand to the side. With a flash of orange, Paige's worst fears were confirmed. Lying just feet from the dining table was the cold, blooded body of Laura. Her eyes seemed frozen open and blood covered most of her yellow nightdress. The huge slit in her daughter's throat caused Paige to throw up as everything she had ever loved was taken away from her. Her life and soul; her little Pixie, was dead. Looking two feet to the right, Paige threw up again. Mark had two eyes missing and a large pentagram engraved in his chest. Although Mark's face was covered in blood, it showed panic and concern. She could not tell how her sisters had been killed, but they were slumped against the counter with Prue, MJ and Andy, each wearing the same pentagram on their skin. The only person Paige could not see was Leo. This however, was no comfort for the youngest charmed one: She had lost everything.

She fell from the demon's grasp and sank to the floor in a pool of violent sobs. Receiving another contraction, she curled into a ball.

"Now, now Paige," Decron said, stepping on Paige's ankle, causing it to crack, "If I'm going to take your baby, then you're going to have to stop crying!" his voice was full of joy and Paige sat up, shaking in rage. How could he find this amusing? He was sick! Paige had never been angrier in her life.

"You cannot take my baby!" She yelled and orbed out to the place which was her only hope: the attic.

In the living room, Mark and Piper were deep in conversation about Cole and Danielle's announcement. Leo had been called 'up there' and Phoebe had just gone to bed with Jason.

"He told me last night at the Giants game." Mark said. "I've never seen him so happy…except maybe when MJ was born."

"Yeah, I'm happy for him." Piper replied, "And maybe Phoebe and Jay will be the next to have a baby." (AN-Oh the foreshadowing!)

"For now, I'm focused on my own baby!" Mark replied with a smile, "Any day now…"

"Yeah!" Piper said excitedly, "You guys thought of names yet?"

"If it's a boy we were thinking Samuel, after Paige's dad. He's been such a great help since Laura was born and he deserves a little acknowledgement, y'know? If it's a girl Paige suggested naming her after her mum…" Mark suddenly looked a little uneasy.

"Patricia?" Piper asked with a grin.

"No…um…Rachael, after her adoptive mother…"

"Dude, don't look so scared! I'm not going to take offence because someone else raised Paige! I fully understand how much she loved her paren- wait- Did you just hear something?"

"Yeah…" Mark looked panicked and rose to his feet. "Sweetheart is everything okay?" He called.

No reply came and just as Mark started on his way out of the room, Piper stopped him. "I wouldn't go searching for the source of that noise if I were you." She said with a smirk, "Remember, Phoebe and Jason have just gone upstairs…alone…"

"Oh…yuk!" Mark sat back down with a disgusted expression on his face. He still did not like Jason. "If they wake up Laura, I'm not going to be happy. Do you have any idea how long it took me to get her to sleep? She kept saying that something bad was going to happen to the stork! I'll never forgive Phoebe for letting her watch Dumbo!"

"I know what you mean! Prue's still scared to sneeze encase her ears grow!"

"At least she's not trying to fly…although that could be possible in this family-"

"You cannot take my baby!" Paige's voice echoed through the house and Mark shot off like a rocket into the kitchen. All he saw was the tail end of her orb and the vomit that covered the floor.

"PAIGE?" He shouted at the ceiling. "Paige, come back!"

Paige landed on the floor in the corner of the attic. Her grief had obviously made her powers go slightly askew as she had been aiming for the loveseat, but the spot she had landed in was not her main concern when she looked up. Standing in front of her, grinning maliciously was Decron. "I knew you'd orb up here," He growled. How he had managed to get there before she had was a mystery to her and she was in no state of mind to figure it out. "Thank you Barbus." He said coldly turning to the opposite corner of the room.

Barbus? That name seemed so familiar to Paige but she could not work out where she had heard it. Another thing that she could not understand was that the attic was occupied by not only she and Decron, but a small, scrawny man, whose pointed nose and wild grey hair reminded the youngest Charmed one of a weasel. This must have been Barbus, but Paige could still not place him. Through all her grief, she was having a hard time registering anything at the moment.

She tried with all her might to squeeze her legs together as Decron lifted up her nightdress, but failed. Sobs wracked her body as she thought of what he was going to do to her, but what she had expected did not come. Instead, all Decron did was smile and nod.

"Not long now." He told her, before kicking the Paige's leg and caused it to crack once more. "The child will soon be mine."

"Ah, ah, ah…" Barbus crooned, shaking his finger from side to side. In any other situation, Paige would have found his cockiness towards Decron amusing. "Will soon be _ours_. Or did you forget our little deal?"

"Of course not," Decron said wickedly, though Paige detected a hint of panic in his voice. "Now shut up and let me deal with the half-breed."

Paige winced as another contraction came. She noticed Decron draw something from a bag and gasped when she realised it was a sword. He aggressively thrust it at her, only just stopping before he contacted her abdomen.

"Now Paige," He started, putting his face so close to hers that his putrid breath caused her eyes to water, "I need you to do me a favour." When Paige made to retaliate he pressed the sword against her skin and she stopped, "Good. Now I need you to say an anti-orb spell for me, and then seal off the door with another little rhyme, Got it?"

Paige gulped. Normally, she would have defended herself, but the image of Laura's lifeless body kept playing in her mind and she did not want her second child to end up in the same situation. She was trying with all willpower to stop the contractions coming, but they were getting closer and closer together.

"Okay," She sobbed, trying hard to focus her mind. She had been the cause of her family's death. She had killed her own daughter.

"NOW!"

"Those who wish to dwell within these walls, won't be able to dwell here at all." Paige recited from the top of her head, trying not to show her fear.

"Killing two birds with one stone, I like it!" Decron smiled in satisfaction as the room magically sealed itself.

Paige sat in the corner under Decron's watching eye. Barbus was pacing the attic looking almost bored. It seemed as if all hope was lost until her gaze rested on the book of shadows. The idea was very dicey, but in this case, Paige was so desperate she'd try anything.

"Candles." She whispered, quiet enough for only her to hear. Luckily, Decron did not notice the circle of candles appear behind him and even if Barbus had noticed, he showed no sign of telling the other demon. "Matches." Paige closed her eyes in anticipation and forced herself not to sigh in relief when she opened them to see the candles had been lit. Another contraction hit her and she let out a howl of pain. Decron's gaze had not moved once from her and Paige needed to cast this spell without him seeing her. She buried her head in her hands and hoped her acting was good enough to convince the demon she was actually crying. "Here these words, hear my cry, spirits from the other side, come to me, I summon thee, cross now the great divide." She whispered.

Before Piper could even make it to the kitchen, Mark was halfway up the stairs. He raced down the corridor and straight into Piper and Leo's room, paying no attention to the giggles coming from the room of his other sister-in-law. He had made such a noise in storming in that Andy began to stir in the nursery.

"Why the heck isn't he here?" Mark snapped, turning on the light. "LEO!"

As Leo materialised in the room, Phoebe came bursting through the door looking very worried and slightly angry, "Mark! Do you mind keeping the noise down?"

"Have you seen Paige?" He asked, ignoring her hypocritical comment.

"The elders just told me that they sensed Decron appear in the open." Leo said timidly.

"Oh my God!" Gasped the emotional nauctater. "He must have been the one who attacked Paige! FIND HER!"

Mark was yelling not out of anger, but fear. As soon as he had ordered Leo to find Paige, he raced past Piper and into Laura and Prue's bedroom. The two girls were sound asleep, but he had to wake them.

"Daddy?" Laura asked sleepily, "What wong?"

"Pixie, call for your Grandpa, okay?"

"Uhuh." She replied uncertainly. Last time her father had been like this was the day Andy was born and Laura immediately knew something was wrong. "Gwandpa!"

"Mister Sam!" Prue joined in and looked curiously at her pacing uncle.

Mark exited and returned to Leo and Piper's room. Jason had also appeared, looking like he had not even started to sleep. Leo was sitting on the end of the bed, his eyes closed in concentration. Suddenly Mark was hit with feelings of guilt. If he had gone to the kitchen after he had heard that noise he may have been able to stop whatever had happened. This was all his fault. What would happen if Paige were dead? He hoped with every ounce of hope he had left that his biggest fear would not be confirmed.

"Where is she?" The nauctater asked urgently.

"The attic." Leo replied, very confused.

At his reply, Mark stormed out of the room, once again, at top speed. He took the stairs two at a time and nearly fell back down as he was bounced off the attic door. He pounded it with his fists and began shouting. "Paige! Open the door!"

Paige's heart sank when no spirit appeared. She fought the tears tried hard to focus on getting the images of her dead family out of her mind but she could rid herself of neither. They were all dead. Everything in her life that mattered was gone because of her. Decron had won. There was no doubt in Paige's mind. The one thing that she was struggling to believe was that her entire family had been killed and she had slept right through it. Unless, somehow, Decron had blocked everyone's powers and put some kind of sound barrier on the basement, Paige was sure someone would have had the common sense to orb out, or in MJ's case shimmer- wait! It was then that Paige realised- She had been in such a state of horror that she had not realised it before. MJ's body had been in the kitchen, yet Paige had seen her leave with Cole after the party. Either, Cole and Danielle were dead too, or the images had been an illusion. This brought a tiny spark of hope back into Paige's heart and she looked up at the pacing demon with a look of desperation.

"Tell me," She said, "Where is Cole's body?"

"Belthazor?" Decron sneered back, "What use is he to me? To kill that pathetic waste of space would waste my time."

Bingo! Paige's hope soared just a little more, but she did not even need to interrogate the demon any longer. Her small glimmer of hope engulfed her as a shout from the door rang in her ears.

"Paige! Open the door!" It was Mark.

"Barbus, you insolent fool! Did you not think to take care of the family?"

"Of course I didn't forget, but how else was I going to steal this baby for myself if there was no one to vanquish you."

"No living witch can vanquish me Barbus!" Decron roared, as if amused by Barbus' plan.

"Oh…" Although his plan had been foiled, the demon of fear was still grinning. "But then I suppose it means I can?"

"Don't be so idiotic! You know my biggest fear and you know it is impossible to bring him here!"

"Now, I know that Decron. But I also know I can do this!"

Throughout the length of the conversation, Paige had been edging her was closer and closer to the door, but she stopped in her tracks at Barbus' last comment. She turned her head in the direction of the two and watched as Barbus formed a huge, green energy ball in between his palms. Decron backed slowly towards the window with what appeared to be a look of fear on his face. However, the entire situation was unbelievable to the youngest charmed one. Why would an all-powerful demon, who had enough courage to attack an entire church full of witches, be afraid of one meagre demon? Nevertheless, Paige felt an immense weight lift of her shoulders as the humongous energy ball hurtled towards Decron and knocked him backwards through the attic window followed by a huge explosion.

What confused her was at exactly the same time; Barbus had disappeared in a huge mass of green flames and smoke, like he had just been vanquished.

"How did…what…?" Paige could not form proper sentences through her contraction, but when she finally looked up, she was gazing into the familiar blue eyes she had not seen in a while.

"Relax Paigey girl," Rachael Matthews soothed, pulling Paige into a hug.

"Mom?" Paige gasped. Her spell had been aimed at summoning Prue, not her mother…_both_ her mothers!

Standing behind Rachael Matthews was Patricia Halliwell. She however, was not gazing lovingly at Paige, but glaring venomously at the spot in which Barbus had just been standing.

"Oh, nice try big shot!" Patty teased the empty space, "Nobody does that to my daughter and gets away with it!"

Paige was in too much shock to register what was happening. One minute, her family had been dead. Next thing she knew she had heard Mark shouting through the door and Barbus had vanquished Decron and now, her dead adoptive mother and birth mother were in the attic, having apparently vanquished the weasel-like demon! On top of this, Paige's contractions were now only a minute apart and she was beginning to get exhausted.

"I thought they were dead…" Paige sobbed, letting out. All the pain she had felt for the past half hour, "I thought they were all dead…"

"Shh, Pumpkin." Mrs Matthews soothed, "It was just an illusion."

"…The demon of fear," Paige recalled from her days spent searching the book of shadows as it finally dawned on her where she had seen Barbus before and the illusion began to make sense.

Tears were streaming down her cheeks. They were tears of relief, pain, anger and confusion all mixed into one. It was an emotional overload for a woman who was about to go into labour. The last thing Paige saw before she passed out was Mark, her sisters and Sam burst through the door.

The minute Decron had crashed through the window, the magical seal on the room had broken. As Mark raced to his wife's side, everyone else stopped dead in their tracks and gazed in shock around the room. Patty had a satisfied smirk on her face and was now at Paige's side, crouching next to a woman, who Piper and Phoebe recognised from their brief encounter as Rachael Matthews (AN-Let's just assume that 'a Paige from the past' happened- minus the Phoebe/Cole wedding thing, kay? I figure that the same demons- outer and inner- would have come along even with Mark there). Shards of glass and wood scattered the floor and in the corner lay a very pale, barely conscious Paige.

Paige blinked through the light as life came back to her. Mark had her wrapped in his arms and she had never been so happy to see him in her life. Looking to her left she saw both her mothers (AN- that is really weird to write btw!) crouching by her side and both had a comforting hand on her arm. To her right, sat Sam, healing her broken leg. Behind them, the attic was a shambles. Just as Paige attempted to get up and explain things, she was hit by yet another contraction and the sudden urge to push.

"Oh my god! The baby?" Mark gasped. Nobody outside the attic had actually been aware that Paige's waters had broken. "How long?"

"I think she can start pushing," Patty replied, "But Sam, will you orb her somewhere a little more comfortable? Piper's room will be closest."

"Sure." He replied and then He, Mark and Paige, disappeared in a swirl of blue lights.

"Oh my god!" Phoebe exclaimed, speaking for the first time since entering the attic. "What the hell happened?"

"Let's go downstairs and I'll explain everything, but first of all, a little cleanup is in order I think." Patty cleared her throat and recited, "Let the object of objection become but a dream as I cause the scene to be unseen."

After a brief moment, the attic was clean once more and the four women who occupied it stood uncomfortably in the centre.

"Impressive…" Mrs Matthews mused, "I'm glad Paige didn't have her powers as a child!"

"She did" Patty informed her, "She just wasn't aware of them."

"Okay, will you cut it with the crap? _What happened_?"

"Piper, calm down. It's fixed and Paige is okay." Patty said, smiling.

"Mrs Matthews, feel free to go downstairs and find Paige- second door on the left-" Phoebe said politely, before, ever the persistent one, continuing, "but I think I'd like to stay and talk to my Mom about _what the hell just happened_!"

"Oh, okay…" The slightly plump brunette dashed out of the attic, sensing tension and leaving the three Halliwell women alone.

"Well?" Piper snapped impatiently.

"Well what?"

"I'm not in the mood for humour Mom! Just tell us what happened!"

"Okay." Patty took a seat on an old wooden chair and looked up to her daughters. "I'm sure you can probably guess who started this whole mess?"

"Decron." Phoebe said, not understanding it had been a rhetorical question.

"Yes- well he was working in league with Barbus and-"

"He what? Wait 'til I get my hands on that worthless piece of demonic sh-"

"Piper! I took care of him, okay? Just listen. He was working with Barbus, who managed to convince Paige that you were all dead with one of his fear illusions. Naturally, Paige orbed up here to the book where the real Decron was waiting and he threatened her until she sealed the room with a spell. Of course, Paige is a bright girl. She used a spell to summon Prue, but since Prue gave her powers to Andrew, she would have been no use. So Mrs Matthews and I came instead. That was when we-"

"Why did Mrs Matthews come anyway?" Phoebe asked, interrupting her mother, "It's not like she had a power to help with."

"Darling, sometimes just having your mother there can help calm you, you know that. Remember Piper's wedding day? We figured in a situation like this, two mothers would be better than one."

"Sorry… continue!"

"Well, by the time we got here, Barbus had vanquished Decron."

"Hold it!" Piper gasped, "Barbus vanquished Decron? But how is that possible?"

"I don't know sweetie, it just was…anyway, Barbus had let his guard down just long enough for me to hit him with some of your grandmother's best rhyming work. He should be gone for at least another century or two…"

"We'd better get to Paige!" Piper said suddenly. "That baby's not going to deliver itself."

It was now just after midnight and Leo sat in Prue's bedroom with Jason and the children. Andy had quickly fallen asleep and Prue was making her way back into the land of nod, sitting on Jason's knee. Laura, on the other hand, was curled up against the wall with the remainders of tears in her eyes and a very angry expression on her small, round face. Leo had a firm watch on her, knowing that if his eyes left her for more than a second, she would orb out to her mother and father. It appeared that Laura could sense her mother's stress and pain.

"Pwease Unkie Weo!" She begged, pouting and rubbing her eyes with her sleeves.

"Laura honey, your Mommy's fine. Grandpa healed her okay?"

"Otay…" Laura sounded unconvinced, but continued to sit in the corner silently. That was, of course, until Paige's screams of child labour echoed through the old Victorian manor. She jumped to her feet and began to cry again. "You lia'!" She screamed and before anyone could stop her, Laura had orbed out.

By the time Piper, Phoebe and Patty eventually arrived in the room, they had almost missed the baby's birth. Paige was lying on the bed, sweating profusely and grabbing Mark's hand so hard it had turned purple. (_Definitely missing the drugs!_ Mark had thought, but not voiced.) Sam stood to her side, rubbing her back in encouragement and he had never looked so relieved as when he saw his daughter's sisters.

"Almost there," Mrs Matthews said, from her position crouching at the end of the bed, "one more push!"

"You seem to know what you're doing!" Phoebe said, noticing Mrs Matthews' professionalism.

"I was a midwife." She replied. "-Come on Paige, you can do it!"

"No I can't," Paige said, completely exhausted, "I can't…"

"Yes you can!" Patty said, approaching Paige and taking her free hand.

"One last push, sweetheart!" Mark told the love of his life, kissing her forehead and stroking her hair. "You can do it."

As Paige's scream echoed through the Manor, a new set of lungs made their entrance and began to contribute to the commotion. Tears sprung to everyone's eyes as the former midwife cut the cord and handed the weeping child to its parents.

"It's a girl." Paige choked, through happy tears, "We have two little girls…"

"She's beautiful…" Mark gasped, his eyes welling up, "She has red hair…like my mum."

It was true; the tiny baby's head was covered with a thin coat of flaming red hair. Much like her sister, she had inherited the Anderson, blue eyes, but other than that had no clear resemblance to either of her parents. Nonetheless, Paige and Mark could not stop smiling. They savoured the little girl's button nose and dimpled cheeks, how her tiny hands grasped firmly to her father's index finger and how she was just a little cold to the touch due to her power of cryokinesis.

"Looks like the family is still female dominated then," Patty said proudly, "She's gorgeous Paige."

"Adorable," agreed Mrs Matthews.

"Someone get Laura," Paige said, but her request had been pointless. Just as the words had left her lips, a small cloud of bright lights brought the curly headed little girl into the centre of the Anderson family hug.

"I did thinked you was huwt Mommy!" She said, sounding relieved and moving to cuddle Paige. It was just then that she noticed the baby in her mother's arms. "I knowed the stowk was comin' tonight!"

"Yes you did Pixie," Mark replied, kissing all both of his daughters in turn.

"Is that my sista?" She asked quietly, scared that a loud voice would startle the tiny baby, "Who is she caw'd?

"Rachael," Paige replied softly, giving a warm smile to the woman at her side. Then she turned to face Patty, "Rachael Patricia Anderson."

"I'm honoured," Both women said in unison, before turning to each other and laughing.

"Well this causes for celebration!" Piper announced, "A new baby and the demise of Decron in the space of an hour! Pretty impressive if you ask me!"

"Tomorrow…" Yawned Paige, "I need sleep…"

"Okay sweetie." Piper said, "Orb down to the basement and get some rest. We'll tidy up."

"Can I stay wiv you?" Laura pleaded, batting her long eyelashes. "Pwease?"

"Sure honey," Mark replied, "Now you orb Mommy and your baby sister downstairs and I'll be right there."

Laura obliged, leaving Mark with the rest of the family, who were all giving him confused glances.

"What?" He asked defensively.

"What's up?" Piper asked him, "It's not like you to leave Paige after the night she just had. Something's up."

"I'm just curious." He began, "Decron was really vanquished?" Something in Mark's mind was telling him that Decron could not have been vanquished by a mere demon. It was just too simple.

"Well, yeah." Phoebe told him, "Why?"

"It's just too easy." He replied, but at everybody's 'you are way too persistent' glare, he caved. "I'm going to go to check on Paige." He told them, "And both of my daughters." He added with a huge smile.

Unfortunately, if Mark had continued being persistent about his fear of Decron, he may have prevented what Decron would eventually do. Deep in the heart of the underworld, the demon, which the entire Warren line- dead or alive- had grown to hate, sat grinning. Although tired and severely wounded, his joy was immense. They thought he was dead and, though it had not been intended, his supposed death was actually helping with his plans. And his next plan was definitely going to cause the Anderson's some serious damage.

"Barbus you genius!" He yelled and his ominous laugh echoed through the dark and empty tunnels of the underworld cave for miles around. "The existence of the third child is certain to be prevented!"

AN- Soooo, one more chapter down! Was it any good? I'm not entirely convinced it's my best work. I just heard some shocking news! Is it really the last season of Charmed? Or is it just a horrible rumour! Also, I have a REALLY sore hand, so my typing is being slowed down, but I'm trying! One reviewer asked for the DOB of the kids so:

Prue- 20th June 2002

Laura- 12th March 2003

MJ- 16th September 2004

Andy- 7th February 2005

Rachael- 17th September 2005

Anyway…please review or "I'll get you my pretties and your little dogs too!" lol!

Laur xXx


	12. Weddings and Worries

I do not own charmed

Howdy folks! Thanks for your fantasmatronic (Groovy word, huh?) reviews! Everyone seems to have loved the last chapter…I honestly thought it wasn't that good! Lol!

Peanut2lb- (it is meant to have a 2, right?) Yay, now I get to be the queen of Narnia and the Queen of Paigedom and angst! Lol! The incredible thing was I actually never thought the last chapter was very good, but it appears that everyone liked it:S I actually loved writing Barbus…maybe I'll bring him back! -**ponders over plot ideas**- I didn't quite understand why you thought Cole rocked though…I know he does, but last chapter he only had about 5 lines! Lol! I'll try and get some more action packed chapters up soon, but for now it's the calm before the storm (a very big storm…) I'm also glad you liked the Prue giving Andy her powers thing. That will be delved into deeper later on (yes- that means more Prue!) Thank you for the review!

Passions- Thanks for your email; I was a bit confused when you thought Decron was dead! Lol! Glad you liked it though! Thanks!

Prince Halliwell- Yes, Decron and Barbus are horrible. I intended them to be that way! Lol! Couldn't work out whether you were happy or angry about Cole's baby, but either way you'll have to wait and see about the powers and whether it's a boy or girl:P As with Phoebe's baby! Unfortunately, up here we don't get half term! I had two days off last week, but I explained in one of my reviews to you so… Paige's name isn't Halliwell-Anderson because Paige's last name was never Halliwell! Lol! It was Matthews and besides, the Andersons are respected in the magical community almost as much as the Halliwells! You won't have to wait long for the MJ subplot! Thanks!

Kay-thanks! And Woohoo! A new reviewer!

BlueOrbs998- I'm flattered! And flattery will get you…everywhere! Your review made my day! I know what you mean about it being hard to find a Paige centred fic, but I promise my plots for Piper and Phoebe are just as exciting and good ol' Paige will be there too! This one doesn't contain much Paige, but the focus will return to her in a few of chapters time. Thank you for all the compliments:D **Laur does a happy highland fling**!

I may have said it before but thank you so so so much for your encouraging reviews! They really inspire me! Next chapter should be up next Sunday. I'm trying my hardest not to disappoint you fantasmatronic reviewers!

**This chapter starts almost half a year after the last at the end of February. Since the last chapter Phoebe and MJ have moved in with Jason.** This chapter doesn't contain a lot of action, but I promise it will get exciting soon…and I'm still convinced everyone is going to want to kill me when it does! My flying monkeys forbid me to be nice and God only knows what they're capable of if I anger them! –Cowers in fear- lol!

Sorry if it's not up to my usual standard, but you could always review anyway! I that you enjoy it! Anyway, time for some major fluff!

Laur x

**Chapter12- Weddings and Worries**

Phoebe sighed happily and snuggled into Jason's torso. She traced his bare chest with her index finger and smiled lovingly at him. He returned the smile and leaned in to kiss her, almost nervously. Phoebe, noticing his sudden lack of confidence, pulled back and giggled.

"Why so scared?" She asked childishly.

"I'm under your spell." He told her, smiling slyly, but his usually radiant self-confidence was not shining through in his voice.

"Why Mr Dean, are you implying I would use my magic for personal gain?" Phoebe teased.

"Or course not Miss Halliwell. I have loved you since the day I laid eyes on you. I don't need magic to know how much you mean to me."

"I love you too baby!" She replied, finally accepting his kiss. "But, you're still nervous…"

"That's because your presence makes me weak at the knees." He replied, sliding off the bed and pulling on a pair of jeans. "Put some clothes on, there's something I want to show you."

"Okay…" Phoebe replied uncertainly.

As the middle charmed one slipped back into her black, silk nightie, Jason exited the room for a brief moment and appeared to be talking on the phone. Phoebe could not here what he was saying and this aroused her curiosity even further. She slipped into Jason's dark green, towline bathrobe and joined him outside the bedroom.

"Put this on," He said, handing her a blindfold.

"Why?" She questioned curiously, but nonetheless, slipped the blindfold over her eyes.

Jason smiled nervously and placed a hand in his jean pocket, checking once more that the box was still there. With the other hand he took a hold of Phoebe's and began to lead her down the corridor to where the balcony resided. A slight chill came through the open door and Jason's nerves grew more. He removed his had from his pocked and helped his blindfolded girlfriend through the glass door into the crisp, winter air.

Phoebe shivered as she stepped onto the balcony. Jason was being very mysterious and Phoebe was not one for surprises. She wanted more than anything to rip off the blindfold and see what it was Jason wanted to show her, but she loved him too much to spoil his surprise. Jason placed his girlfriend's hands onto a cold metal bar and she guessed she was facing out over the Golden Gate Bridge, due to the direction that the balcony faced. He planted a small, soft kiss on her neck and Phoebe's heart skipped a beat. His touch was so overpowering. Never had she loved a man this much but even though he had taken an empathy-blocking potion, Phoebe could sense he was nervous. The sound of a dialling phone met the ears of the middle charmed one and she heard Jason's hushed whisper say 'do it now'. _Do what?_ She thought.

"I love you Phoebe," Jason said from behind her, "And I want to give you the world."

"I love you too." She replied, ever curious but giggling, "And you _are_ my world."

"Phoebe, I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He began, "I want to grow old with you and have children with you and live in a big old house in the countryside. I want you to teach me about your magic and, heck, I even want a Siamese cat called Boris, as long as I own it with you!"

Phoebe's heart skipped a beat. Her gut told her what was coming and if she was correct, she already knew the answer. "On the count of three, remove your blindfold."

"Okay…"

"One," Phoebe's heart was racing and she longed just to turn and kiss the love of her life, but obeying his wishes, she stayed in place, "Two," This was it. She had no idea what she would see when she removed it but her fingers began trembling in anticipation as she moved them towards her face, waiting for the third count, "Three."

The blindfold was off within the blink of an eye. As she had expected, she was facing out over the Golden Gate Bridge, but she was unsure of the reason behind her being blindfolded. She was almost about to turn round when a large blast of colour caught her eye. Phoebe had always loved fireworks and the display that was going on over the Bay was the most magnificent she had ever seen.

"Jason?" She asked, utterly bewildered as to what was going on.

"Those are for you." He told her, his voice shaking in apprehension.

"Oh my god!" She exclaimed excitedly, finally understanding why they were on the balcony, "But why?" Of course, Phoebe had an inkling feeling of what Jason was going to do, but decided playing the fool would be more fun.

"Because I love you." He told her, "And I wanted this to be perfect."

Phoebe turned to face him and her breath caught in her throat as she realised why she had been blindfolded. Lining almost every inch of the balcony floor were candles and rose petals. On the small glass table resided a bottle of 'Callara Jensen', Phoebe's favourite wine and Jason was kneeling behind her. His eyes were closed and in his left hand he held an open box containing the most beautiful diamond ring Phoebe had ever seen.

"You mean the world to me Phoebe Halliwell," He said, "Will you marry me?"

Tears of joy prickled the corners of Phoebe's eyes. Her heart skipped a beat and she could not find the words to express how much she loved this man. She bent forward and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.

"Yes," She said and with that one simple word, she was the happiest woman alive at that moment.

The two shared a passionate kiss and stood in each other's embrace as they watched the rest of Phoebe's fireworks. Nothing could have broken their love.

(AN- do you believe I'm not that mean to Phoebe now! Though writing this made me want to gag…lol!)

**March 25th 2006- The day of Cole's wedding.**

The month after the proposal was not very eventful as far as the lives of the charmed ones went. Of course, there had been demon attacks, but nothing so huge as to unnerve the witches. Ironically, the children were more of a problem than evil. On this particular March morning as the first rays of spring sunlight shone through the windows of the Halliwell Manor, it was no different. Between Laura's rendition of the vanishing spell, causing the spread of delicious food to disappear, Rachael coating Jason's head in ice and Andrew telekinetically throwing his breakfast at the wall, life with magical children was once again proving to be hectic.

For the parents, however, magic was not something they had needed to use a lot in the past six months. There had been a serious lack of demon attacks since September and, although they weren't complaining, it seemed a little odd. Piper counted it as a blessing and Paige said very little on the subject but Phoebe's theory had been that Decron was, in fact, the source and by him being killed, the underworld was in a complete shambles. Mark had attempted to convince her that this was not the case by saying that half a year was more than enough time to bring order back into the underworld, but with little succession. In his mind, even six months later, Decron's demise at the hands of Barbus had been too easy. Despite his serous belief in this, he dared say anything to anyone, especially his wife, knowing that it would spoil her happiness.

Since Rachael's birth in September, the Anderson's had become a lot closer as a family. Without the threat of Decron looming around every corner (although the thought always hung in Mark's mind), they had time to spend together. Rachael was growing at a rapid rate and was very much a Daddy's girl. She still remained cold to the touch and her cryokinesis was becoming somewhat of a nuisance to keep control of. Although she used her Wiccan powers on a regular basis, she had shown no sign of whitelighter ability. However, nobody questioned this because she was only one-quarter whitelighter and she appeared to have inherited most of her magic from Mark's side of the family. Another thing the five month old had inherited from her father was her dislike of Jason Dean. She would fuss whenever he held her and, much to Mark's amusement; she had tried to encase him in ice upon three occasions.

Phoebe, however, was convinced that Jason was going to make a very good father one day. He was very good with MJ, though little Melinda-Jayne was not too keen on either of her parents' respective partners. Danielle's pregnancy was something that intrigued the one and a half year old. She could not fully grasp that, although it was not Phoebe's baby, it was still going to be her brother and when somebody tried to explain it to her; MJ's demonic markings would never fail to show. This worried both Phoebe and Cole to a great extent and only recently had anyone noticed that both of MJ's powers were demonic. Frequently, Phoebe and Cole would find tiny scorch marks surrounding their daughter's crib in the mornings and she had still not grown out of throwing fireballs when she was angry or upset. Although her powers were inherited from her father's side, her personality was very much her mother's. Her talkativeness and friendliness were something that reminded everyone of Phoebe and often caused clashes between she and Laura.

Laura was blossoming into a very outgoing and extravagant little girl. Her refusal to wear anything that was not brightly coloured reflected this greatly and Mark found his daughter's flamboyance very much like his own as a child. Despite only being three years old, she seemed to have a very good way with words and she was also quite a nuisance with her tendency to make up spells. Paige and Mark, however, were very proud of their daughter's linguistic skills; something she had definitely inherited from her mother. With the exception of her curly hair and blue eyes, her appearance grew more and more like Paige's every day. Laura had become a very protective big sister; something Paige adored. Having grown up without her siblings, watching her daughters together overjoyed her and they both had the same effect on their mother as Prue and Andy did on theirs.

Prue, having almost reached the age of four, was growing into a very beautiful little girl. With her extreme self-confidence, she had proven to be quite popular with other children. Unlike her younger cousin and best friend Laura, she was very good at controlling her use of magic. She appeared to have been appropriately named after her Aunt Prue, and Piper constantly said that her daughter was like a mini version of her older sister. This was because of Prue's determination and headstrong attitude and although it often got her in trouble, it was a great asset to have as part of the Halliwell family. Prue, despite liking to think she was a 'big girl', would spend every minute of her spare time (when she was not causing havoc with Laura) with Piper or Leo. She seemed to have a certain admiration of her mother which nobody could ever break and even though she had a very strong likeness in personality to her deceased Aunt, her striking likeness to Piper would always be there too. She, like all other Warren descendents, was a caring older sister and had become very protective of Andy.

Andy, now one year old, though he was a little mommy's boy, was very fond of his father. Leo and Andy seemed to have a very special bond; not just a father/son bond, but a bond through their whitelighter blood. Leo was convinced that, although Andy had his Aunt Prue's Wiccan powers, his whitelighter half was more dominant. Piper agreed but also argued that it was because Leo was one of only two men amidst a very female populated household and Andrew preferred the company of males. Andy was a very quiet baby and always seemed to have a curious look of knowing about him: like he knew things beyond what he should. When asked, the elders posed the idea that by the transfer of powers, Andy had received some of Prue's essence. Piper thought this true, but whether it was because she liked the idea of Prue's spirit (even if only a miniscule part) being able to live on, or just because it made sense, she was unsure. The only little boy in the family for generations was definitely a handsome one. Although he had his fathers sandy hair, green eyes and strength in whitelighter powers, he was very much a Halliwell.

The Manor, as usual, was hectic during the hours leading up to Cole's wedding. The Charmed ones, their children and their respective partners were all getting ready and with Melinda-Jayne, Prue and Laura acting as flower girls, Piper and Paige were having trouble getting their girls to sit still long enough for them to get ready. Phoebe on the other hand, had no problem dressing MJ, but her daughter's sullen expression and unusual lack of energy was worrying her.

"What's the matter Pumpkin?" She asked, running the brush through her daughter's black hair. MJ looked at her mother wide eyed and responded with a shrug. "Aren't you excited about your Daddy's wedding?" Once again MJ looked her mother in the eye, but this time did not respond with even a gesture. However, Phoebe's motherly instincts were telling her that MJ's answer to the question was no. "Come give Mommy a hug?" This time, Melinda-Jayne's face lit up just a little. She jumped into her mother's outstretched arms and giggled.

"Mama?" She asked slowly, turning serious, "Danni mama too?" The curious and concerned expression that spread across MJ's small, round face melted Phoebe's heart. She was obviously too young to understand the 'step-mother' theory, but Phoebe did not want her daughter thinking that she had two real mothers.

"No Sweetie. She's going to be sort of like…an Aunty!"

"Danni bwuva mama?" Once again, the serious and very anxious expression appeared on the toddlers face.

"Yes." Phoebe replied, "But I'll always be _your_ Mama, 'kay?"

"Uhu." MJ snuggled a little closer into Phoebe's embrace and the middle charmed one did not notice the black line appear across her daughter's eye, nor the single tear run down her face. "Wuv 'oo."

"I love you too baby, more than anything."

"Bowis?" She asked innocently, referring to Phoebe and Jason's new Siamese cat and pulling back to look her mother in the eye after making her demonic mark disappear.

"Yes sweetie, even more than Boris." Her mother replied with a smile.

In the next room, Piper was having a similarly loving moment with her children.

"Mam!" Andy giggled as he saw his favourite person enter the room.

"Hey there big guy! Don't you look handsome?"

"Plue!" He squealed pointing behind Piper at his elder sister who had just entered wearing her flower girl attire.

"Hi Andy!" Prue yelled excitedly from behind her mother. "Hi Mommy!"

"There's my beautiful little girl!" Piper said turning to face her daughter. "Look how pretty you are in your dress!" It was true. The little girl did look beautiful. Her long dark hair was in two braids and she wore a very elegant white dress, which made her look like a mini Cinderella.

"Like a princess?" Prue asked eagerly.

"Exactly like a princess. The most beautiful one in the entire kingdom, might I add! Did Aunt Phoebe help you put it on?"

"Nope, Aunty Paige." Replied the almost four-year-old with a sweet smile and blushing cheeks.

"She actually managed to get Laura dressed?"

"Yup!"

"Well, I'm sure all three of you look gorgeous!" Piper said and she smiled, remembering the time her Grams had told her the same thing when she, Prue and Phoebe had attended Grams' final wedding when Piper was four.

"Thank you." the little witch replied, turning crimson. "Mommy?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"I love you too sweetie." Piper replied, smiling widely as her energetic daughter skipped towards her brother's crib with her black pigtails bouncing as she did so. Both of her children had this effect on Piper. Just being in their presence would fill her with joy and it was a feeling the eldest charmed one cherished. "Both of you."

In the basement, Paige was getting ready with the help of her daughters. Mark was currently on his way to Cole's because he thought, as the best man; he should probably arrive on time for a change.

"There, how'd I look?" Paige asked, waving her arms above her head and twirling. Laura and Rachael were sitting together on their mother and father's bed.

"Pwetty!" Laura exclaimed. "I wants you'we dwess!"

"But flower girls don't wear green sweetie." Paige replied with an amused smile. Laura was not happy about having to wear white. "And you look more beautiful than ever in your own dress." Laura was wearing a dress which matched Prue's, and with her curls pulled back into a ponytail, she looked adorable.

"Thank you." Laura blushed and smiled, "Bootyful like Mommy! Wight Wachy?"

The six month old baby just clapped her hands and squealed, unable to form proper words. "See Mommy, Wachy is liking you're dwess betta too!"

"Well Rachael looks just as beautiful in her outfit as you do in yours and besides, I think my dress would be a little too big for you anyway honey, don't you?"

"We could magic it smallew?" Laura replied hopefully, "Please?"

"Sorry Pixie, no personal gain! But if it makes you feel any better, I wore that colour when I married your Daddy."

"Weally?" Laura asked, suddenly warming to the idea of a white dress. "I'm gonna wea' it when I is getting' mawwied too!"

"Oh, and who do you plan on marrying?" Paige asked with a smile at her daughter's sudden change of heart.

"Dat man fwom the Piwate movie!" She replied giggling and mocking her mother in a twirl.

"Johnny Depp?" Paige asked, slightly amused. "Great choice! But for now lets worry about your Uncle Cole's wedding. We can worry about yours when it comes- which won't be for a very long time yet…" Paige trailed off with a sigh as the realisation hit her. Her babies were growing up so fast and if her time with them continued to go by so quickly, Laura and Rachael would be moving out and getting married any day now.

"Whatsa matta?" Laura asked, picking up her baby sister and sitting on the bed next to Paige so that she could give her a hug.

"Nothing sweetie." She replied, smiling at her daughter's concern. "Just don't grow up too fast, 'kay?"

"We pwomise! But why Mommy?"

"Because if you get too big I won't be able to do this!" Paige grinned slyly, rose from her seat and began to tickle both of her daughters, causing them to laugh and wriggle on the bed in a bid for freedom. After five minutes of playing, she lay down on the bed with one daughter at each side, a huge smile spread across her face. Rachael crawled onto her mother's stomach and Laura grinned as she snuggled into Paige's arm.

"We loves you Mommy." Laura said happily and smiled a smile identical to her mother's.

"I love you too."

An hour later, the occupants of the Manor gathered in the back of church. Andy and Rachael sat dosing in their prams, whilst the three older cousins played ring around the roses, waiting for their time to walk down the aisle. The wedding was due to start any minute and the guests had packed the church. It was tremendously ironic that the man who had once been demon of the century was getting married in a place of god, but Cole Turner could not have been happier.

Cole stood next to Mark at the front of the church and smiled at Jason, Leo and the Charmed ones as they slipped in to the church with Rachael and Andy and took a seat next to a man he did not recognise. This meant that Laura, Prue and his darling Melinda-Jayne were almost ready to enter the church and the wedding march was about to begin. His stomach did a back flip as the organ started to play and he eagerly awaited his beautiful bride, who he had not seen for the past forty-eight hours.

Prue and Laura stood either side of MJ and each took one of her hands. The part-demon witch seemed almost reluctant to walk towards her father, as if not wanting the outcome of her doing so to happen, but when she saw how happy Cole looked, she gave in and smiled sweetly. The two eldest cousins gave their mothers a grin and a wave as they passed them at the back of the church, but MJ kept her eyes fixed firmly on the ground. Nobody could tell, but she was fighting very hard against her demonic tribal markings. She had to be happy for her Daddy. She was not going to be a bad girl.

Cole smiled at how adorable the girls looked- particularly Melinda-Jayne but his smile widened as Danielle entered. She was glowing with a radiant beauty and her huge, brown eyes lit up as she smiled a shy smile. Her dark hair hung in large curls around her petite face and she was dressed in a beautiful, off the shoulder, white dress. Despite being seven months pregnant, she was stunning. Although the Halliwells did not know this woman very well, they knew how happy she made Cole and could clearly see how happy he made her.

After she reached the altar and shared a hug with her elderly father, the wedding ceremony of Cole Turner and Danielle Sutherland began. The Charmed ones, however, were too distracted by the sudden odd behaviour of the three little flower girls to hear the exchanging of vows. MJ's face was buried in Prue's shoulder and Laura was rubbing her younger cousin's back as if in an attempt to calm her down. Fortunately, nobody appeared to have noticed apart from Mark, who was slowly edging towards his eldest daughter and nieces with a worried expression on his face.

Melinda-Jayne had finally lost her fight against the tribal marks. Prue had noticed and did everything she remembered her Aunt Phoebe doing last time they had appeared. However, she could not understand what had provoked them, as she knew they only appeared when her cousin was angry or upset. Of course, only MJ knew, but she was too young to express it to anyone; the constantly being surrounded by her cousins' parents, who loved each other, and moving between her own parents, who were in love with other people. Why couldn't her parents be in love? And how could Danielle's baby be her brother if Phoebe wasn't his mom?

"I pronounce you Husband and Wife," The priest announced, "You may kiss the bride."

As the church erupted into applause, Mark finally managed to make a dash towards the three little girls. MJ pulled back and faced her uncle and Mark stood in shock. He had never seen her markings so strong before. Encircling her entire right eye was a huge black mark. What usually appeared as a faint, black line was now as vivid as Belthazor's markings had been. Little MJ appeared to be fighting with all her might to get rid of them and now that her Uncle Mark was there she was having a little more success.

By the time Phoebe had fought through the crowd and reached her daughter, the markings had completely disappeared. She looked questioningly at her brother in law and then at her daughter who looked ready to fall asleep. Laura and Prue were looking sheepishly at MJ.

"What happened?" Phoebe asked urgently.

"I'm not exactly sure, but her markings looked pretty scary for a minute. Pixie, do you know what happened?"

"Nu-uh! She was okay 'til we getted up hewe!"

"And then she went funny and her pictures came up!" Prue explained.

"Is everything okay?" A new voice asked. Nobody recognised it, but to Mark it was distantly familiar. "I couldn't help but notice the commotion going on up here."

They turned to face the man, who was standing behind Phoebe with his hand outstretched in offer of a handshake. He looked perfectly normal other than the fact he was wearing a large pair of dark glasses. Mark couldn't help but find it odd, especially since the sun had disappeared and they were indoors, but he tried to shake off the unpleasant feeling this man was giving him.

"Everything's fine, thanks for asking." The nauctater replied coldly as Laura backed away from the mysterious man and closer to her father.

"Forgive me for not introducing myself. I'm Paul McFarland, a friend of Danielle's."

"Nice meeting you," Phoebe replied, accepting the handshake reluctantly. "If you don't mind, we were sort of in the middle of something…"

"Yes of course... see you soon." Before Paul McFarland began to walk away, he seemed to keep his gaze on Mark, though it was impossible to tell through his large sunglasses. He sauntered up the aisle with a curious smirk on his face and Mark's eyes followed him all the way to the back of the church.

"What a creep." He said quietly.

"He's scawey!" Laura agreed, snuggling into her father.

"He was just concerned." Phoebe argued before turning her attention back to Melinda-Jayne. "Sweetie, are you okay?"

"It huwts…" She replied with a sniff, though what hurt was unclear to anyone.

"Maybe this was a little too much for her to handle." Phoebe said. "I think we'll take her to see Daddy, then go home for some sleep. Okay honey?"

"Yup…" MJ looked a little disorientated and fell into her mother's arms sleepily. "Go see Daddy."

With MJ's comment Phoebe left for the back of the church in search of Cole. MJ's demonic side was becoming somewhat of a problem and everyone was getting worried about her. If it began to get more serious, the charmed ones were going to have to consider binding or stripping her powers and this was not something they wanted to resort to. However, all that they could do was wonder what caused it and how it could be stopped. And for now, they were going to celebrate Cole and Danielle's marriage and enjoy themselves. What they did not know was just how serious Melinda-Jayne's problem was going to get.

AN- Sooo…there we go! I hope it didn't suck too much! I finished writing this at 1:03 am last night so if my punctuation is sloppy please forgive me! And I just noticed I managed to write Cole's wedding without him speaking once…oops! Promise there will be more of him later! Trying to get over this stupid writers block, but it don't seem to be working! HMPH! And one thing which made me REALLY CONFUSED: I looked up charmed on IMDB and on the cast listings it came up with 'Aidel D. Herrera' playing a 'Josh Michael' from 2006onwards. Does this mean, charmed runs for a final season with a new character called Josh or are IMDB just getting my hopes up! Need answers! God damn Brad Kern! Anyways my pretties, until next time! (Don't forget to review!) Tallyho! Cheese Mobile- AWAY!

Laur xXx


	13. My little demon

Hidey ho there neighbour! Thanks for the reviews!

Jackie67- Hope you had a good holiday! You're the second person to say I write Barbus well, I'll have to find a way to bring him back! Thanks for the review!

Charmedsisters- Thanks for the review! And don't worry; I won't hurt you for not liking Cole! Thanks once again, I'm glad you like it!

Kendallpaigecharity- Thanks for the review! You'll see about the kids when they are born, but I'll give you a hint about what gender the 'third child' will be: something Decron says to Barbus in chapter 11… I'm glad you like the fic!

Peanut2lb- You'll see about MJ's markings in this chapter! I'm glad you liked that Prue wanted to help- I was trying to show she was like her mother. And I'm also glad you like that Rachael doesn't like Jason! I'm having fun with that in the chapter I'm currently writing! Thanks for the review!

BlueOrbs998- I made someone like Phoebe? -**faints in shock**- Yes, I'm sure you'll dislike her again soon too! You'll see about MJ's evil side soon enough! And you adored something I wrote? Once again, made my day! Thanks!

Prince Halliwell- If you thought what happened to MJ in the last chapter was bad, wait and see what happens in this one…I feel cruel… And no, I have never watched Home and Away in my life (I'm not a soap person) :S I'll have to watch it and see if the actress is how I imagine Danni in my fic! And as for Paul, he doesn't appear in this chapter, but he'll be back and all will be revealed some time in the near future!

Passions- Glad you liked the Paige, Laura and Rachael scene. I know I may SEEM evil, but I actually enjoy writing fluff! Lol!

Can't be arsed to ramble today (I know, I'm shocked too:p) so here is, lucky for some, chapter thirteen!

**Chapter13- My little Demon**

As the booming explosion echoed through the kitchen of the penthouse, Phoebe shielded her eyes from the shards of plastic that were hurtling towards her and leapt back in shock. Paige, Laura, Melinda-Jayne and Prue went crashing to the ground and Phoebe could barely see her hand through the thick cloud of smoke that surrounded her.

"Piper!" She called loudly, alarmed by what had just happened, "Mark!"

Within seconds, Piper had come pounding down the corridor of her sister's home looking very panicked and bouncing Andy on her hip in a bid to calm her crying son, who had obviously been startled by the sudden explosion. Mark followed close behind with a similarly worried look spread upon his ice coated face- obviously his youngest daughter had been startled by the explosion too.

"Phoebe? Are you okay? What happened?" Piper asked urgently.

Much to the eldest charmed one's surprise; her question was not answered by a distraught plea for help or a cry of pain, but a high pitched, booming laugh that undoubtedly belonged to Laura along with the childish giggle of Paige, the small cackle of MJ and the wheezy chortle of Prue. Piper and Mark exchanged confused glances and entered the kitchen, where the smoke was slowly fading.

"Are you okay?" Mark asked the four in the corner, who he was now helping to their feet. "What happened?"

"Au…Aunty Phoebe b…blew up the micro…microwave!" Prue told them through a heavy bout of laughter.

"Phoebs!" Piper scolded playfully. She knew cooking was not Phoebe's strong point, but even Laura knew how to use a microwave!

"She's a silly Billy!" Laura giggled loudly.

"She put a tin of spaghetti in!" Paige sniggered, "Actually in the tin! I tried to warn her…"

"You actually put metal in the microwave?" Mark asked his sister-in-law in utter disbelief, "Idiot…" He muttered under his breath, earning him a playful smack from Paige.

"_My eyebrows_!" Phoebe finally spoke, distressed, "I singed my eyebrows!"

As Paige erupted in giggles once more, Piper spun round to see the weary face of Phoebe with, as she had said, no eyebrows. The middle charmed one's red halter-top was blackened at the chest and her face looked like it was covered in charcoal. Even underneath the blackening, Piper could see her younger sister's face turning crimson in embarrassment.

"Your idiocy astounds me!" Piper said trying to stifle her laughter and failing.

"MJ are you okay?" Phoebe asked her giggling daughter, trying to avoid her own sheer stupidity.

"Mama bang!" The small girl replied cheerfully.

Phoebe, for a brief moment, forgot all about what had just happened as she watched her daughter smile. Since Cole's wedding this was a sheer rarity. Melinda-Jayne had changed drastically. It was hard to believe she was a Halliwell anymore. Shyness and reluctance to speak had replaced her talkative and friendly attitude towards her cousins, Uncles and Aunts. Sometimes it even seemed like she was pulling away from her parents. Her baby brother, Benjamin Coleridge Turner, had been born at the end of May with demonic markings identical to his sister's and this had comforted her somewhat, but Cole had been considering binding his son's powers and MJ was becoming more distant again.

After the commotion in the kitchen had died down and Paige had sneakily recited the vanishing spell, everyone gathered in the large, dining room of Phoebe and Jason's penthouse apartment. Jason, who had been retrieving his cell phone from his car at the time of the incident, was now there too, smirking at Phoebe slyly. Leo had just returned from 'up there', where the elders had been asking him about one of his charges and was seating Andrew in his highchair.

"Whewe's my basghetti?" Laura asked her Aunt Phoebe with a cheeky grin as the hostess with everything but eyebrows dished up the meal.

"Paige, she gets more and more like you every day!" Phoebe said, finally taking a seat at the table.

"So everyone keeps telling me!" Paige replied with a smile, "You know, as far as meals made by Phoebe go, this ain't half bad!"

"Hey… just because I don't cook, doesn't mean I can't!" Phoebe scolded, before brightening up and stretching her hand across the table to reach for her fiancé's. "Besides, it's a very special occasion…"

"Care to elaborate sis?" Piper asked curiously.

"Well…I'm pregnant!"

"A baby?" Prue asked, through the excited squeals of her mother and Aunt Paige.

"Yes Sweetie, a baby." Leo said with a smile, ruffling Prue's hair. "Congratulations you guys!"

The happy moment of congratulations and giggles came to an abrupt end with the cry of distress from Melinda-Jayne. She threw her bowl of macaroni cheese on the floor and let out a frightfully loud scream. Her demonic markings appeared almost instantly and a large fireball formed in her left palm, which she threw violently towards her mother. Phoebe was too shocked to react to the fireball, but fortunately, Piper managed to blow it up before it could cause any damage.

"No baby!" MJ screeched through floods of tears. "No Benji, no Danni, no JayJay! No no no! I gots a Daddy and a Mama! No mowe!"

As the small girl shimmered out, the occupants of the room stared in a shaken silence at the chair in which she had just sat. The silence was broken by the distraught sob of Phoebe. She buried her face in Jason's chest as the rest of her family sprung into action. Prue and Laura looked very taken aback; they were so used to MJ being quiet and good-natured that it was a shock to hear her yell. Obviously moving from home to home and having two families was causing the young girl a lot more pain than anyone had realised. Both of her Aunties gasped in shock and ran to Phoebe's side, Mark already had out his phone to call Cole and Leo had his eyes tightly shut, trying to sense his niece.

"I can't believe I didn't notice how upset she was …" Phoebe sniffed. "I'm a terrible mother."

"Sweetie, you're the best mother I've ever seen." Jason tried to reassure her, running his fingers through her hair. "Nobody could have known that she felt betrayed. It's not your fault Phoebe, I promise you that."

"Yes it is!" She replied sorrowfully, "She's my baby! I should be able to tell how she's feeling!"

"Shh Phoebs…" Piper soothed, "We're going to find her and we are going to do everything in our power to make her feel better. Okay?"

"Yeah…" Phoebe looked up expectantly at Leo, but the heavenly handyman looked up sadly and let out a melancholy sigh.

"Sorry Phoebs. I can't find her."

"What?" She gasped, "What do you mean you can't find her?"

"It means she's magically protected." Piper said hopefully, "She won't have shimmered to the underworld. I'll try calling Ava."

"Cole says she's not with him. Paige can you go get him from his office?" Mark asked.

"I'm on it." Paige replied as she disappeared in a swirl of lights.

"I'll occupy the kids whilst you guys look," Mark said, picking Rachael out of her highchair, taking Andy's hand and motioning for the two older girls to follow him.

"Thanks Mark."

The nauctater and the kids trooped down the corridor in silence, leaving Piper, Leo, Phoebe and Jason sitting in the dining room, where a half eaten meal still remained. Phoebe, still rather shaken, stood up, walked towards the window and placed her hand onto the cold pane of glass. Not even the spectacular view of San Francisco nightlife could take her mind from her missing daughter. Somewhere out there, in the vast expanse of buildings and cars, people and demons, was her precious baby. She tried not to let another tear escape, but doing this was proving to be difficult. In all of her life, Phoebe Halliwell had never felt so helpless. Jason walked up behind her and placed his arm around her waist. "I love you," he said as he kissed her forehead gently. "And we're going to find her."

Darkness completely surrounded Melinda-Jayne, but she wasn't going to let it scare her. Her Mother and Father were punishing her by not loving each other and she smirked, pleased with the fact she had destroyed the very place that had brought them together. The pain which had been engulfing her was fading as she embraced the evil form that her body had taken. Another fireball formed in her hand, bigger than the last, and she hurtled it towards a wall. It satisfied her to watch the walls crumble, but it did not take away the feeling of remorse in her heart. She did not understand how her Mommy and Daddy could love other people. And now that Ben was born, her Daddy loved him more because he loved Ben's Mommy. The same thing was going to happen when her Mama and Jason's baby was born. Nobody would be left to love Melinda-Jayne. The small girl found herself letting out a sob and she formed yet another fireball. She made to throw it towards the grave opposite her, but she was interrupted by a voice that seemed oddly familiar.

"Melinda-Jayne?" it said and in front of the large gravestone a blinding white light appeared.

"Hello?" Her small voice called, "Who is you?"

"I am your Nana- your Mommy's mommy." Replied Patricia Halliwell with a smile. "And I've come to tell you a story."

"What?" The small girl's voice trembled, full of anger and mistrust and she thrust her arm forward, sending her fireball towards the glowing woman who was claiming to be her Nana. However, the woman's smile remained as she froze the fireball with ease.

"That wasn't very nice, was it Melinda-Jayne?"

"Go 'way!" MJ screamed, her voice frightfully loud for one so small.

"Don't you want to hear the story?" Patty asked softly.

"No!"

"It's about Aunty Paige…"

MJ's face screwed up in confusion and the looked reproachfully towards her Nana. "Why?" She asked slowly.

"Well, if you come here, I'll tell you." Patty patted the stone beside her and gestured for her granddaughter to come and sit with her. MJ, unable to climb over the rubble that surrounded her, shimmered to the woman's side. Patty crouched, so that she could come face to face with the small demoness and pulled her into a hug. MJ seemed reluctant, but did not pull away. "Now for the story."

"'Bout Aunty Paige?"

"Yes, because she's the same as you." The corporeal ghost smiled, hoping that her story would be enough to save her granddaughter.

"Why?"

"Well, did you know that your Aunty Paige has a different Daddy to your Mommy, Aunt Piper and Aunt Prue?"

"Uhuh. Mista Sam."

"That's right. And do you know that I love her just as much as I love your Mommy and other Aunties?"

"You do?"

"Yes," Patty replied softly, "Of course I do. And you see, when your Mommy and Jason have their baby, she's going to have a different Daddy, isn't she?"

"Uhuh…"

"But that doesn't mean your Mommy's going to love you any less. And just because your Daddy has Benjamin now, he still loves you just as much. Do you understand?"

"Uhuh…" MJ's lip began to tremble, but she kept a firm gaze on her Nana. "They wove me?"

"With all of their hearts, Melinda-Jayne, with all of their hearts…" Patty's voice trailed away as she disappeared in the same white light that had brought her. "Blessed be…"

"Phoebe?" Leo said quietly, "Piper and I are going to check the Manor, okay?"

"Yeah…sure…" She replied vacantly, her mind stuck on MJ. She couldn't believe how much her daughter had been suffering without anyone noticing.

Just as Leo and Piper exited in a swirl of blue lights, Paige and Cole entered. The ex-demon dashed towards Phoebe and Jason and immediately began to ask questions.

"What happened? Do you have any idea where she could be? What if she gets hurt? Did she turn demonic? How lon-"

"Cole! Calm down!" Paige snapped before, being the only one present with a clear head, taking charge. "She got a little upset after Phoebe told her she was having a baby and yes, she did turn demonic, but don't worry because we're _going_ to find her. I'm going to go and Scry. Phoebs, why don't you try and get a premonition?"

"Okay…" Phoebe watched her sister leave the room and absent-mindedly walked over to the table and picked up her daughter's doll. She closed her eyes in concentration, not expecting anything to happen. Much to her surprise, she felt the familiar cold rush down her spine and inhaled the all too familiar gasp of cold air as she was sucked into a very vivid vision.

_Cole and Phoebe gazed into each other's eyes, full of passion and love. They moved in for a very intimate kiss, the love radiating around them. Suddenly, Piper's voice calling her sister's name cut through the air and the two lovers pulled back sorrowfully._

"_I'd better go." Cole said urgently._

"_They'll keep looking for you until they find you." Phoebe told him with a hint of grief in her voice._

"_Your sisters?"_

"_Them too…"_

"_Phoebe?" Piper's voice came once more and the two inside the mausoleum looked panicked._

"_Give me your shirt." Phoebe ordered._

"_My shirt?"_

"_Hurry up!" Cole hurriedly removed his shirt and as soon as he handed it to Phoebe, she dropped it on the floor. She bent forward and picked up a small vial from the ground and pulled out a small dagger from her purse. "Give me your hand. Trust me." She hastily, but reluctantly, sliced his hand and allowed his fresh blood to drip onto the shirt. Still panicked, Phoebe threw the potion at the shirt and a huge cloud of smoke appeared after a small explosion. "You have to go, please…" She begged as she heard both her older sisters enter the mausoleum. The two shared one last kiss before Cole shimmered out._

_(AN- taken from ep. 'Sleuthing with the Enemy')_

"What did you see honey?" Jason asked as Phoebe's arched back lowered and her eyes fluttered open.

"I…um…" Phoebe looked between Cole and Jason. She had no feeling whatsoever for her ex, but the premonition had to have meant something. She replayed it in her mind when it finally began to make sense. "I think I know where she is…"

"Where?" Cole asked without delay.

"The mausoleum." She replied.

Cole wrinkled his brow, but realisation soon spread across his face. He looked to Phoebe and nodded, "We'll take your car." He said.

"Where?" Jason asked, confused at the look of understanding shared between his fiancé and Cole.

"Honey, stay here and wait for Piper and Leo. Tell them we've gone to the mausoleum and they'll understand. I'll explain later, okay?"

"Um…I guess. Be careful." Jason pecked his wife on the cheek before watching her dash to the door with Cole close behind her. He sat down and put his head in his hands, "I hope she's okay."

Despite it being June, walking alone through the dark graveyard sent shivers down Phoebe's spine. She was having a hard time keeping up with Cole, who had sprinted ahead and was beginning to get frightened. Phoebe felt that she would have been a lot more frightened if her daughter's circumstances were not prominent in her mind but, as it was, all she could think of was Melinda-Jayne.

"Phoebe!" Cole's bellow came from somewhere to Phoebe's right. "Get over here, now!"

Phoebe, although in stilettos, ran towards her ex-boyfriend's petrified voice. When she arrived in the front of the mausoleum, her heart stopped and even more panic surged through her. The entrance was covered in hundreds of tiny scorch marks and it had been hit so many times that it had crumbled to the floor.

"Was this MJ?" Cole asked slowly, unable to believe his daughter was so powerful.

"Yes…" She replied, equally shocked, "It has to have been…" Tears once again pricked the corners of Phoebe's eyes, but she fought them and ran into the mausoleum.

The sight inside was even more shocking than the destruction of the exterior. The ceiling was crumbling and many pieces of rubble lined the floor. The walls were covered with more tiny scorch marks and a small fire had started in the far corner. The only thing inside the mausoleum unharmed by the small girl was the grave of Benjamin Turner, where Melinda-Jayne stood in horror. Her entire face was as black as her hair; her, normally huge, brown, puppy dog eyes were blood red; Her arms and legs were covered in crimson diamonds and she had sized considerably, causing her green pinafore to burst at the seams.

"Mama?" She asked as Phoebe entered the remains of the mausoleum. Even in her demonic form, her voice was full of innocence. "Daddy?"

""Oh my god…" Phoebe stopped in her tracks as she looked towards her daughter. MJ was completely demonic and had been powerful enough to destroy a building. Her heart broke as the little demon started bawling. Demon or no, it was still her daughter.

Cole sped past Phoebe, who was frozen in shock and picked up the little demoness in his arms. He knew how hard it was to control a demonic side and could imagine what his daughter was going through, but he felt utterly helpless. " Shh baby, Daddy's here…"

"Oh my god…" Phoebe repeated once more. She edged towards Cole and MJ, kissed her daughter on the completely black forehead and broke down. "I'm so sorry Melinda." She sobbed and sank to the floor.

"Mama?" MJ questioned, shimmering from Cole's arms and into her mother's lap. "Tell baby I sowee?"

"She knows sweetie, she knows…" Phoebe smiled slightly, glad that her daughter was okay, but very curious as to what had given her the change of heart.

"Mama?" MJ asked once again, her form shrinking and the blackness slowly fading from her skin, "Nana speaked to me…"

"Nana? What did she tell you?" Phoebe enquired. Her mother must have said something very meaningful and Phoebe thanked the heavens for whatever it was she had said.

"Dat Aunty Paige likes I is coz she had a difwent Daddy...and dat… you wove me too..."

"Of course we love you Melly." Cole said, kneeling on the floor and kissing MJ's hair, a tear rolling down his cheek.

"Just because we don't love each other, it doesn't mean we don't love you." Phoebe felt awful. She must have done something pretty bad to make her daughter think she didn't love her. "And we love you with all of out hearts."

"I's sowee." MJ said, now completely back in her human form and trembling in her parents' embrace. "Home now?"

The next morning, Phoebe awoke to the sound of Melinda-Jayne's innocent giggles. She groggily rolled over and turned to see her daughter lying between she and Jason, trying to escape Jason's tickles. Phoebe smiled contently. Melinda-Jayne was happy again and although her demonic powers were incredibly strong, the middle charmed one was no longer worried about her daughter using them for evil. "Thanks Mom." She whispered, though Phoebe sometimes forgot her tendency to overestimate people's abilities…

AN- So there we have it folks! Chapter 13 is done! I know some of you are probably wondering where the hell Piper and Paige have disappeared to, but they'll be back, in full ass kicking style for chapter fourteen! Never fear! And we will also meet Benjamin! Anyway, I've decided not to threaten you this week, but actually ask nicely…please review! -**Watches in amusement as all her reviewers faint at the thought of Laur being…_nice_…- **Anyways, until next week!

Laur xXx

PS. I need your help! I want to write a subplot about another of the kids. I have one planned for Andy, but if you could possibly tell me which of the other kids you'd like me to write about in your review, I'd be eternally grateful. (Don't say Andy or MJ. I know exactly what I'm doing with them :p) Thankles


	14. Woogy Wonderland

Howdy folks! Thankles (I made up a word…see if it catches on :S) for the reviews!

Kendall-Paige-Charity- You'll have to wait and see about the third child! I'm all out of clues! I'm glad you liked it and thanks for the review!

Jackie67- Thanks for the review! About Phoebe's baby, let's just say you're a genius! Lol! Glad you liked the microwave thing!

Powerof4- You have a lot of contenders for longest review! Lol! I'm glad you like the story! Decron is getting on your nerves? He'll be back, I'm sorry to say! And whether they can vanquish him is for only me to know :p lol! Thanks for the review!

Money makes me smile- Ava is the gypsy from "The eyes have it". I kinda decided that most demons from the show would happen anyway so, that's why she's there! Lol! You'll have to wait and see about Rachael. Bare in mind she is only a baby so her powers will come as she gets older. :p Glad you like the fic and thanks for the review!

Peanut2lb- Thanks for the review! Glad you liked Mark's reaction to the microwave! I have fun writing Mark! I plan for chapter16, 'A Nauctater's guide to the galaxy', to be Mark centred and writing it is fun!

Angelone2- You like MJ? A lot of people seem to! I prefer Laura and Andy myself, but hey ho! This is seriously one of the best Charmed stories you've ever read? And you put me on your favourite authors list! I'm SO flattered! -**Does happy Dance**- Thanks so much! And if you need any advice just email me. Thanks for the review!

BlueOrbs998- Glad you found the microwave exploding funny! I thought it seemed like something Phoebe would do! Lol! Benjamin's only in this chapter for a tiny bit, but I can assure you they'll be more of him soon. Thanks for the review!

Prince Halliwell- Dude, that was a long review! Yes, MJ's demonic from will have another name- not for a while though! I like the nickname BTW (I used it in chapter 15…)! Your idea for a Prue subplot rocked, but I already have a similar subplot containing big Prue, which revolves around Andy. About Phoebe's baby, check out Jackie67's review for the last chapter. Ben isn't included in the eight kids and the final two babies will be born around the same time. Prue and Andy are Halliwell-Wyatt, MJ is Halliwell, Laura and Rachael are Anderson and Phoebe's baby will be Halliwell-Dean. Think that just about covers it! Lol! Thankles for the review!

Passions- Glad you liked it!

I'd just like to take this moment to say that I have never experienced an earthquake so if I get it all wrong I'm sorry! And for some reason when writing the Woogy, I kept thinking of Oogie Boogie from 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' (Which ROCKS might I add?) So if he comes across odd then I apologise! And I just have a question, which is probably pointless, but it's bugging me: What's a C2 community? Yeh…I probably seem really stoopid now! Oh well… I'm off to build a snowman with my friends! YAY SNOW! Enjoy the chapter!

**Chapter14- Woogy Wonderland**

It was a sunny August afternoon and San Francisco was the hottest it had been all year. Piper, Leo and Paige were lounging in the garden whilst the two eldest kids played in the tree house which Leo and Mark had spent the past month building. Rachael and Andy, too small to climb the ladder, sat near their mothers, covered in ice cream and giggling at the mess they had made. Everyone was enjoying a pleasant, demon-free afternoon, hoping it would stay that way for Phoebe's wedding the following day.

"Guys!" Mark shouted from inside, "Darryl just called!"

"Aw crap!" Announced Piper, "What now?" She asked grumpily, expecting another curious death or demon attack.

"Nothing bad, Sheila had the baby!"

"Oh!" the eldest charmed one replied, pleasantly surprised.

"Boy or girl?" Paige asked, getting to her feet, her hopes of a demon free wedding for her sister getting stronger by the minute.

"Boy: Kevin Alexander Morris. Sheila and the baby are both fine, but they don't think they'll make it to the wedding tomorrow!" (AN- the significance to Kevin won't become clear for a very long time, but he is significant :p)

"I'd guess not…when's Cole dropping off MJ?"

Paige's question was answered by the ringing of the doorbell and a shout from the ex-demon himself.

"Hello?" Cole yelled, "Anyone home?"

"We're out the back!" Leo shouted through the open back door.

Minutes later, Cole appeared in the back garden with MJ at his side and Benjamin in his arms. The little girl bounded over to the tree house where she could see her cousins and shimmered up so she could join them.

"Melina-Jayne!" Her father scolded, "Don't use your powers!"

"Sowee!" She giggled innocently, poking her head out of the small window.

"Who's the creep that's moved in to the house across the street?" Cole asked.

"Someone moved in?" Paige enquired, "I didn't even realise that house was up for sale!"

"That's because it's only been on the market for four days!" Piper exclaimed, "Someone's moved in already?"

"Yeah, Prue and I spoke to him this morning." Leo told them, "MacPhee? No…McFarland… Paul McFarland!"

"Paul McFarland?" Mark racked his memory for where he had heard the name before and it suddenly dawned on him. He could clearly picture the pointed face and the large sunglasses, accompanied with charcoal black hair. "The creepy bloke from you and Danielle's wedding?"

"It doesn't ring a bell, but I suppose he could be one of Danni's friends. She has a lot!"

"He said he moved here because his brother passed away. He seemed like an okay guy…but his sunglasses were a slight off-put. He didn't even take them off when he went inside!"

"I think I'll be making a point of avoiding him." Mark said rather cruelly before changing the subject. "Anyway, how's life for the Turners?"

"Great! We just finished decorating the nursery. Where's Phoebe? She is staying here tonight, right?"

"Yeah. She's picking up her wedding dress," Paige told him "I offered to do it for her but she doesn't trust me! She's pretty obsessed with this wedding going perfect…"

"In this family?" Cole snorted and Mark stood behind him, stifling his laughter with a cough.

"That's what I said," Leo said with a smile and the three men shared an understanding look.

Cole sighed and took a seat on the floor next to Leo. He looked from his daughter to his son and sighed. Benjamin, or Ben as he was called, smiled at his father and waved his hands in the air, trying to reach out for Cole's face. He looked very like Cole, with black hair and piercing blue eyes, but unfortunately, he had also inherited the demonic genes. Unlike his elder sister, Ben could not control his tribal markings and he permanently had a black mark across his left cheek. He had shown signs of demonic powers in tiny energy balls and Cole was worried…

"I've been thinking you guys." Cole said slowly, "Danni and I… we want you to strip Ben's powers."

"Are you sure?" Piper asked, not remotely surprised. They were shocked Cole had not asked sooner.

"Positive. I mean, look how much Mel struggled with hers…the only reason I'm happy with not stripping her powers is because she has white magic to overcome the demonic side…"

"Cole, you don't need to explain. We understand…really."

"Thanks you guys." He replied. "Now you, little man, need a diaper change!"

Half an hour later Piper, Cole and Ben sat alone in the attic. Piper poured the small vial of blood-red liquid into Benjamin's bottle and gave Cole a sympathetic glance.

"I just hope MJ doesn't get upset about this." He said slowly.

"Why would she?"

"I don't know; it's just…complicated. Because Ben has markings too, MJ feels a little better about herself and maybe taking Ben's away will upset her or something…"

"Cole." Piper started, thinking of something comforting to say, "Melinda-Jayne is her mother's daughter and that gives her tremendous will power. She's going to learn how to control her demonic side as she gets older. She's not even two for god's sake! Just give it time! And besides, come December, Phoebe will have had her baby and you know how much Ben softened up our little demon/witch, so another sibling is bound to have the same effect, right?"

"You spend way too much time with whitelighter blooded people!" laughed Cole, "Thanks!"

"No problem! And the minute I start wearing white robes, I give you permission to shoot me!"

"I'll be sure to do that…"

The moment of laughter in the attic came to a quick stop as Piper handed the bottle to Cole. He gulped, kissed his son's head and pressed the bottle to Ben's mouth.

"This is because I love you." He whispered to the baby as Ben began to drink. A glowing ball of light lifted from the tiny baby as Ben began bawling, causing Piper and Cole to shield their eyes. When they looked down, Ben's face was clear of any markings and he immediately calmed down. Cole smiled, satisfied with what he had just done and looked at his watch. "I think we'd better go or Danni's going to start worrying. We'll see you at the wedding."

"Yeah, maybe it's best that MJ doesn't see Ben before then. Remember what happened last time she got upset?"

"Yeah, your probably right. We really oughta get going anyway."

"Tell Danielle we said hi! We'll see you at the wedding tomorrow."

"Bye Piper and thanks."

Piper followed Cole down the stairs and smirked. When she had first met Cole, he had been plotting the Charmed Ones' deaths. Now, he was asking them to strip the demonic powers of his son and dropping by for visits every Friday. She watched Mark give Cole a pat on the back as he left and her smirk widened. The Charmed Ones had discovered Mark was a witch during his attempt to vanquish Belthazor and now he and Cole were best friends. As much as Piper sometimes hated her magic, she was finally learning to accept that it was the best thing that had ever happened to her.

Mark and Piper watched as Cole drove down Prescott Street and quietly shut the door.

"Phoebe's home! And she's decided to join the kids in the tree house." The nauctater told Piper with a grin, bouncing Rachael on his hip.

"Trust Phoe- Woah!" The sudden rumble of the earth around her and the violent shaking of her home had cut off Piper's sentence. She fell to the floor and shielded her head from the pictures that were falling from the walls.

"Hello, freezing power?" Mark said, trying to calm his screaming daughter. "Shh Snowflake, Daddy's here…"

She looked up at Mark, who had managed to stay on his feet, and groaned, throwing up her hands reluctantly. Piper did not like using her powers in situations that did not require them, but did not like the fact her décor was falling down even more.

"This is so cool!" Mark exclaimed like an excited schoolboy, grabbing the wall to stable himself. "I've never been in an earthquake before!" He extended his hand towards his sister-in-law and pulled her to her feet. His ears were met with the terrified scream of someone in the garden, but it was not the scream of one of the kids. "Don't tell me Phoebe's scared of earthquakes?" He asked, barely containing his laughter, but trying to calm Rachael at the same time.

"Scared is an understatement!" Piper replied, grabbing the nearest piece of furniture, struggling to stay on her feet.

The earthquake lasted for at least five minutes. Mark, Piper and Rachael stayed in the foyer, unable to move without falling over. In the garden, Paige was literally on the floor in a fit of giggles with Leo sitting near by grinning broadly, obviously having fallen over during the rumble. Andrew looked overjoyed with all the excitement of the earthquake that had taken place around them. At the other side of the garden, Laura and Prue were standing at the bottom of the tree looking up at the door with wrinkled brows, hugging each other tightly. It was clear that Paige had been laughing at Phoebe, who was perched at the edge of the tree house door, clutching MJ to her chest. She was breathing deeply and looked terrified, but the sight was very amusing.

"Phoebe, it's okay! You can come down!" Leo shouted when the ground finally stopped shaking.

"Is it over?" Phoebe asked, reminding everyone of a small child.

"I don't know, but you can't stay up there all day! Your wedding's tomorrow!"

"Me do it!" MJ announced proudly and shimmered herself and her mother to where Leo was standing.

Phoebe looked disapprovingly at her daughter's use of her powers, but got to her feet and looked around with an innocent smile on her face. "I wasn't scared." She said, staring at the sky.

"Are you kidding?" Blurted Paige through a snort of laughter.

"I can't help it if earthquakes give me the jeebies!"

"Would that be the Phoebe jeebies?"

"Wow, it's the comedy styling of Paige Anderson!"

"You know, I used to think Prue was the only Halliwell who liked earthquakes!" Piper quipped, emerging from the door looking shaken and finding the conversation which had just taken place very familiar.

"I don't like them, but at least I don't freeze up and scream 'run for your lives'! Give me a break Phoebs!" Paige retaliated after Mark had helped her to her feet.

Laura and Prue came scurrying down the garden and jumped into their respective mother's arms.

"I was not liking that!" Prue declared, burying her face into Piper's shoulder.

"Me neitha!" Laura agreed, quivering. "Bad shakies!"

"It's okay Pixie." Paige soothed her daughter. "Nothing bad is going to happen just because of an earthquake."

Piper looked down at Prue and was about to reassure her of the same thing, but was suddenly hit with a memory of the last time she had been in an earthquake. It may have been eight years ago, but that day still stuck out as one of the worst she could remember: the day the woogyman had possessed Phoebe and turned the house against she and her older sister. Her thoughts abruptly turned to the basement and without a word, she handed Prue to Leo, dusted off her trousers and headed inside.

Fortunately, the kitchen was still in one piece, which meant the basement could not be that badly damaged either. Phoebe, who seemed to be on the same train of thought, followed her inside and grabbed her shoulder before she could open the basement door.

"Don't!" The middle charmed one ordered, "You never know what could be down there…"

"Um… this has nothing to do with the googly man you told me about before we moved into the basement, does it?" Paige asked apprehensively.

"The woogyman Paige, and yeah…" Phoebe trailed off looking more frightened than she had done during the earthquake. "Piper, don't you dare go down there!"

"Phoebs, I know the spell, don't worry!" Replied the eldest Charmed one from her place at the top of the stairs.

Phoebe gulped. She stood defensively in front of Paige, her big sister genes kicking in, and edged towards the basement door. This was one demon that had haunted her since childhood and it was not going to ruin her wedding.

"Phoebe, I'm twenty-nine years old, I don't need you to protect me!" Paige scolded.

"You've never met the woogy before. What if he possesses you?"

"Dude, you're paranoid!" Piper said, reappearing at the top of the stairs. "There's nothing there!"

"I can't help it Piper! This demon is not one I wish to encou-"

The end of Phoebe's sentence turned into a blood-curling scream as another quake came. She jumped into Paige's arms and clutched her younger sister's neck, causing both women to topple backwards into the kitchen counter. Paige's head clunked as it made contact with the marble countertop and she completely blacked out, distracting Phoebe from what happened to her other sister.

As the earth beneath the manor began to tremble once more, Piper lost her balance on the basement stairs. Tumbling backwards she let out a cry for help, but it went unanswered and as Piper landed with a thud at the foot of the stairs, her world turned black and her body lay limp and lifeless.

The basement was enveloped in darkness as the power cut out. The second earthquake had done more damage than anyone had realised. Even through the darkness, the distinct form of a huge shadow was visible and it appeared to be creeping out of a small crevice in the corner. Piper's eyes flickered open slowly and she groggily brushed her hair from her face. Peering through dust filled eyes she noticed something move in the corner behind the bed and called out.

"Phoebe, is that you?"

"Not who I had my eye on, but I suppose you'll do." A deep and menacing voice replied as the huge shadow moved towards the vulnerable charmed one.

Piper's body tensed, realising whom the voice belonged to. She arched her back and covered her head with her hands, knowing she could not stop the inevitable. She gasped as the mass of black entered her and, once again, she fell backwards.

"Phoebe you idiot!" Seethed Paige as Leo offered a hand to help her get up. "Did you really think I was gonna be able to keep my balance as well as yours?"

"Sorry, it's just…well, I panicked!" Phoebe replied, clutching hold of the table encase a third quake hit.

"Yeah, I noticed! And I have the headache to remind me!"

"Where's Mommy?" Prue interrupted her arguing Aunts and for the first time they noticed Piper's absence.

"I'm right here sweetie." Came Piper's voice from the doorway, but it was toneless and distant. "I checked the basement. There's nothing down there."

"Good!" Replied Phoebe, finally realising another quake was not coming any time soon and placing a hand on her gradually expanding stomach to make sure her unborn baby was okay. "If the woogy ruined my wedding…" She did not finish her sentence, deciding the language she had chosen to finish it with was not language she wanted her daughter or nieces to hear.

"What a Woogy?" MJ asked, tugging on the bottom of her mother's long, denim skirt.

"Nothing you need to worry about." Piper said coldly. "Now get out or start cleaning up!"

"Piper, don't you think it's a better idea that they know the story?" Paige queried, "I mean, I barely know it!"

"Do you think I care? Phoebe can tell them if she wants. It's only a story. I'm going to clean up…"

"Only a story? Piper, don't you remember what happened last time?"

"Yeah, yeah! Whatever!"

Paige and Phoebe shared a quizzical look as Piper exited the room. Leo, assuming Piper was angry because she had just spent the morning cleaning the house for Phoebe's wedding and would now have to do it all over again, followed his wife with Andrew so that he could help her tidy up. Prue and Laura, oblivious to anything being wrong, just skipped happily outside to continue playing in the garden and MJ apprehensively followed.

"What's wrong with Piper?" Mark asked, picking the ice from Rachael's fingertips.

"I don't know. She's just really pissy all of a sudden!" Paige replied.

"You don't think…" Phoebe looked sceptically at the Andersons, but both looked blankly back at her, "Never mind. She's probably just pissed because she has to clean again. I'll go give her a hand."

"As much as I'd love to stay and help, I have to get to work!" Mark said, handing Rachael to her mother and pecking Paige on the forehead. "I'll be back at eleven."

"Bye honey, be careful!"

"Aren't I always?" He replied with a sly grin as he picked his keys from the hook in the kitchen and made his way towards the front door.

Piper, who was carelessly hanging pictures back on the wall looked up angrily as the nauctater passed her. "Where the hell do you think you're going?" She snapped.

"Um…work." Mark replied, "Gee Piper, bitchy much?"

The eldest charmed one glared at her brother in law as he turned to leave the house. Her glare turned to a small smile as Mark flinched from an electric shock and she continued to moodily clean the mess in the foyer. She picked a framed photograph of Grams off the floor and went to hang it in its place on the staircase, but found the nail in the back missing.

"God damnit!" She seethed, but much to her surprise, a nail materialised in her hand. "Huh?"

"What's the matter honey?" Leo's voice came from the top of the stairs.

"I, uh…I think I have a new power…" Piper replied wearily. "It's like I needed a nail and poof! There it was!"

"Doesn't seem really temporal stasis based." Leo replied, "Are you sure?"

"What the hell do you think I am? A liar?"

"Sorry honey." Leo said cautiously. "I'll take Andy and go check with the elders."

Piper watched Leo and her son disappear in a cloud of blue and white lights and took a seat on the stairs. She placed her head in her hands and massaged her temples, trying with all her might to remember what had happened in the basement. The mess surrounding her was screaming to be cleaned up but for some reason, all she could think of was returning to her youngest sister's downstairs bedroom. "Screw it!" She announced, getting quickly to her feet. "Let the object of objection become but a dream as I cause the scene to be unseen."

"Oh my goodness Snowflake, do my eyes deceive me or did I just witness your Aunt Piper use magic for personal gain?" Paige asked the baby girl in her arms in mock astonishment. "I never thought I'd see the day!"

"Paige?" Piper asked, completely ignoring the mocking comments being made about her, "I've been thinking…maybe we should swap rooms for the night."

"Why?"

"Because if the woogy does attack then I'll know the spell. You don't. It's just a precaution."

"I guess… I'll go clean it up for you…"

"Don't!" Piper aggressively placed a hand on Paige's shoulder and spun her round so that she could face her. "I'll do it. You can take Rachael and run to the store to buy milk so I can get dinner started!"

"Piper, it a quarter past five. Isn't it a bit late to run to the store?"

"No. We'll have a late dinner."

"O…kay." Paige replied, picking up her coat and purse from the hook in the foyer. She placed Rachael in the stroller and opened the door. Although the reason for her sister's odd behaviour was unclear, Paige was not in the mood to deal with two pissed off sisters. "I guess I'll see you later then…" She mumbled, before jerking her hand away from the doorframe. "Ouch! The door just shocked me!"

"It'll just be the static from the earthquake." Piper told her, closing the door in Paige's face. In some ways she was relieved that Paige had left the house and was no longer in danger, but the fact that the threat of Paige reciting the Woogy vanquishing spell was gone seemed to be pleasing her more. "Later, bitch!"

Phoebe finished straightening out the kitchen and took a seat on one of the breakfast bar stools. She stretched her arms in the air and yawned a huge yawn. Being five months pregnant, she was beginning to get tired easily.

"Might wanna cover your mouth sis." Piper sneered from the door, "Wouldn't want to let the devil in."

"What the hell is up with you?" Phoebe asked, concerned.

"Nothing!" Piper snapped as she turned on her heel and headed towards the basement.

"Nothing my ass! Why are you going down there?"

"Paige asked me to tidy up for her. She ran to the store to buy milk."

"Oh..." Phoebe replied wearily, "Stop being paranoid. Tomorrow is going to be perfect." She continued to mutter to herself as she headed outside to check on the kids. She could have sworn the house gave her an electric shock as she exited into the back garden but thought nothing of it.

Meanwhile, in the basement, Piper had taken a seat on Paige and Mark's bed. She felt like she was being torn in two. What was happening to her? The woogy had possessed her and a small voice in her mind was telling her to fight it, but for some reason, she didn't want to. The immense feeling of power pumping through her veins was overpowering; a sense of power she loved having. Perhaps evil wasn't such a bad way to go...

"Thanks for my new power." She said with a malicious smile.

"You were meant to use it against your sister." The shadow growled and although he had no features, he appeared to be smiling as the fear spread across Piper's face. "You succeeded on getting the Whitelighter and the half-breed out of the house but I don't want you to fail me again."

"I…can't do this…" She said slowly, the voice of good becoming stronger. "I don't want to hurt her."

"You can't fight me Piper. You will kill Phoebe or suffer the consequences. Is that clear?"

Piper shivered. The shadow was harder to fight than any other demon she had ever encountered. As her last ounce of good was quashed by his looming stance, she flipped her hair behind her ear and smiled wickedly, "Crystal."

An hour later, after the long trek up Prescott Street with a stroller in the summer's evening heat, Paige was exhausted. Rachael was snoozing happily in the shade of her cover, not bothered by heat because her cryokinesis enabled her to stay cool. The youngest Haliwell sister let out a happy sigh as she reached her home and went to open the door.

"Ouch!" She yelped, quickly removing her hand from the door handle to escape the electric shock. "Stupid house!"

She looked around her to check for any onlookers and when she found none, she grabbed the stroller and turned into a familiar cloud of lights. The orbs moved towards the house, but instead of entering, as Paige had intended, they bounced of the door, sending the two re-materialised figures to crash to the ground. Paige landed with a thud on the grass and watched in shock as the stroller toppled over. Rachael screams rocketed through the air and a blast of ice covered the floor.

"Oh my god!" Paige gasped, ignoring the pain in her knee and dashing towards her baby. She picked Rachael out of the stroller and began walking around the garden, rocking her youngest daughter as she did so. "It's okay Snowflake. Shh… that's it."

Rachael's tears did not subside as Paige took a defeated seat on the stairs. She couldn't understand what was wrong with the house. Maybe the googly man in the basement was real after all. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone, hoping that someone inside would answer. She did not notice the man across the street watching her every move from the window of his new home.

"Hallo?" Came a small but confidant voice, "Dis is Lauwa's house."

"Laura? It's mommy." Paige replied, smirking at her daughter's phone manners.

"Hi Mommy! Watcha doin?"

"Can you be a good girl and get one of your Aunties for me?"

"I guess. Aunty Pipew is in you and Daddy's bedwoom. Aunty Phoebe's twyin on hew dress."

"That's real good Pixie, but I need to speak to someone."

"Why?" She giggled.

"Because it's important. Please sweetie?"

"Suwe…Aunty Pipew?"

Inside, the three year old placed the phone on the table by the door and bounced happily from the solarium to the kitchen. She skipped towards the basement door but stopped abruptly when she heard two voices. One belonged to her Aunt Piper, the other she did not recognise.

"The children are of no importance to me, but the demonic one may come in useful," It said and Laura tried hard to make out what the big words the stranger was using meant.

"What do you propose I do with them?" Piper asked.

"Dispose of them. We'll start with the one eavesdropping at the top of the stairs."

"I didn't dwop an eaves Aunty Piper," Laura replied innocently, making her way through the door, blissfully unaware of the danger that lurked at the bottom of the stairs. "Who is you talking to?"

"A friend. Why don't you come here honey?"

"Mommy's on da phone." Laura said, unsure of what was going on. Something was telling her to stay out of the basement, but her Aunt Piper was waiting for her with open arms. She continued to make her way towards her mother's bed and looked up as her Aunt began talking again.

"Please don't make me do this…I can't…She's a little girl…"

"You'll do as I say!" The deed voice replied, striking Laura's heart with fear. "Kill her!"

Laura let out a blood-curdling scream as Piper lunged towards her with an athame. She began to orb out, but was too late and before she could even attempt to freeze her Aunty, her world turned dark.

Piper watched the small girl's body turn limp and roll the rest of the way down the stairs. Laura's glasses smashed upon impact with the ground and blood oozed out of the deep wound in her back. The eldest charmed one was hit with a sudden realisation and she dropped the athame in sheer terror.

"What did I do?" She asked, too panicked to even move.

"You did as I asked." The woogy replied, "And you'll do it again! I want your sister dead NOW! Do you understand me?"

Piper looked into the shadow, her mind and heart battling inside of her. "Yes master," She eventually replied, stepping over the lifeless body of her niece. Evil had taken over.

AN- Dun Dun Dun! I feel Evil has taken over me too! Cliffhangers are fun! I actually think this chapter sucked, but the next one, "You may Kill the Bride", is worth the wait! Not many people told me in their last review so I'm gonna ask again: Which child would you like a subplot about? I only got three answers- all different! Lol! Thankles and see y'all next week! And don't forget to review!

Laur xXx

I have a few stories to recommend to you if you're interested:

'Simply Charmed' by Prince Halliwell

'Heaven's a lie' by BlueOrbs998

'The Army of Witches' by Powerof4

'Eternally Charmed' (And all the others in this series) by Peanut2lb

'Spirits of the Sisterhood' by RED5

'The children of the light' (And all others in this series) by Princess Pinky

'The powers, the witch and the agent' by Cutleryismyfriend

'Actions have consequences' by Charmed1s-halliwells

'Perfect World' by AndreaMarie

Okay so I have tons more, but these are ones which stand out as being particularly good! Check them out! (Oh my god…I was nice again…lol!) And to the reviewers whose fics I recommended, I hope you don't mind!


	15. You may kill the bride

So…everyone hates me, huh? Lol! I swear I'm not THAT evil… Okay, so perhaps cliffhangers aren't so fun…Thankles for all the reviews!

Kandie-Spirit-Dragon- You win the prize for shortest review ever! Nah, I'm kidding, thanks for the support!

Kendall-Paige-charity- Thanks for the review! I hate the woogy man too! Lol! You'll have to wait and see about Paul though!

Powerof4- Don't worry! And that's all I'm saying…lol! Thanks for the review! And Yay! You added me to your favourite authors list :D

Peanut2lb- Thanks for the compliments dude! My grin stretched from here to Timbuktu! All will be answered in this chapter!

Cutleryismyfriend- Not another communist eavesdropping service? Aaaah! We'd better keep a look out for those Aliens too! Lol! Thanks for the review!

Prince Halliwell- Thanks for the review! You love evil Piper? Your opinion contrasts with everyone else's! Lol! I know Phoebe's had quite a big role, but I have to keep my promise of the story shifting focus between all three sisters! She won't be in the spotlight so much after this chapter for a while though. I'm glad you liked it!

Money makes me smile- Thanks for the review and you added me to your fave authors list? Thank you!. No offence was taken; I actually enjoy criticism! The reason for Phoebe not realising about Piper was that she was so caught up in trying to make her wedding perfect. Maybe it didn't come across? Damn my stupidity! And remember in the woogy episode, Prue and Piper couldn't get in? That's why nobody can get in…I must remember to make these things clearer! Thanks for pointing that out!

BlueOrbs998- -**whispers- **who said she was dead? …I am evil, aren't I? You hated Piper! I think making someone do that is more impossible than making someone like Phoebe! And as for who will be bringing Piper back to good, remember there are only three other people in the manor… Thanks for the review!

.harukomel- I hate the woogy too!

Passions- Don't worry, I swear I'm not that evil…!

chapter is a lot longer than the others because I felt that if I split it in half again, I might start receiving death threats! Hope you enjoy the chapter and don't forget to review!

**Chapter15- You may kill the bride**

Paige sighed in frustration as the line went dead. She rose to her feet and aggressively threw her cell phone at the house. Miraculously, the window did not crack, but instead the phone came bouncing back towards her.

"Will someone _please_ open the _freaking_ door!" She yelled, causing Rachael to whimper. "Sorry baby…"

"Is everything okay miss?" A voice asked.

Paige jerked her head so quickly her neck cracked. She must have imagined it. That was not the voice she had just heard… "Um, yeah…I forgot my key…" She told Paul McFarland nervously. Mark was right; this man was a creep. "I'll just wait for my husband to come home. He won't be long."

"You could always come into my house?" He asked with a smile, though something about him was screaming 'untrustworthy'. Paul pushed his dark glasses up his nose and began walking towards Paige and Rachael. "She's cute." He said unconvincingly, "You plan on having any more?"

"I don't think that's any of your business." Paige snapped, pulling a still screaming Rachael close to her chest, "And we're fine just here."

"If your sure." Paul growled, and once again the voice made Paige flinch. It was so familiar.

"Yes, I am. Thank you anyway."

As Paige watched the tall, fearfully thin man stalk back into his home across the street, her stomach gave a sudden lurch. Something bad was going to happen in the Manor and she could feel it. The youngest charmed one looked to the skies and bellowed at the top of her lungs, "Leo! Get your ass down here!"

He appeared with Andy in his arms, a rather fearful expression on his face. He looked at Paige, who was glaring back at him, trying to calm her screaming daughter. "You can't get in either?" He asked apprehensively and when Paige shook her head, he looked uncomfortably at the Manor, "Oh no…"

"I need to know what the hell is going on! Why can't I get into the Manor Leo!"

"The elders think the woogy's possessed one of your sisters…"

Before Paige could register what Leo had just told her, she doubled over in pain and tears sprang to her eyes. She felt a sharp pain rocket through her back and could almost see her eldest daughter's panicked face in her mind. "Oh my God." She gasped, "You feel it too, don't you Snowflake?" Perhaps Rachael had inherited a whitelighter power after all. Being able to sense evil certainly explained why she would not stop crying. Paige left the stroller lying on the steps, handed her bawling daughter to Leo and sped towards the door. "Mommy's coming Pixie, don't worry!" She said through clenched teeth, thrusting her shoulder into the door, but once again bouncing back. "Piper! Phoebe! You let me in there _right now_!"

Leo watched, almost in awe, at his sister-in-law's determination to get into the house, but worry was also flooding through him. Paige was hurtling herself at the door with all her force, each time being sent backwards by a jolt of electricity, but never giving up. He didn't need to ask to know that something bad had happened to Laura, but his mind quickly turned to Piper and Prue. He had a horrible feeling in his gut that it was his wife causing the trouble.

Phoebe admired herself in the mirror of Piper's bedroom with a smile. Looking at her flowing white dress took her mind completely away from everything that had happened, She was no longer fearing another aftershock earthquake or concentrating on the woogyman. She ran a hand over her expanding abdomen and thought of her baby's father. In twenty-four hours, she would be Mrs Halliwell-Dean. Already, she was envisioning the look on Jason's face when she walked into the church. Her dress was perfect: a sleeveless, cream bodess with a thin layer of lace, revealing just the right amount of cleavage, and a flowing skirt, which just swept the ground as she paraded round her sister's bedroom. (AN-did the vanity come through? Lol!)

Phoebe took a seat on the bed and smiled, but the smile soon faded. The faint sound of a scream could be heard echoing through the Manor and the middle charmed one bolted to her feet and was making her way towards the stairs within seconds, regardless of her attire. The sight of Prue and Melinda-Jayne at the top of the stairs showed her that they were both safe. However, Laura was nowhere in sight and she hadn't heard from Piper since she had gone to clean Paige's room an hour ago.

It was at this precise moment that Phoebe realised her naivety. She knew what it was like to be possessed by the woogy; how your attitude would become short-tempered and dismissive; how you would use any excuse to get in to the basement and how the overpowering evil could cause you to hurt your own family. Phoebe had been so concerned about her wedding being perfect that she had taken no notice of her older sister's changed attitude, but now she knew for sure… Piper had been possessed by the woogy.

"Why are you wearing your wedding dress Aunty Phoebe?" Prue asked, staring in awe at her beautiful Aunt, "You look real nice though!"

"Thanks honey…" Phoebe replied, her eyes not leaving the stairs, "Girls, where's Laura?"

"She went to get the phone." The four year old replied, "When's dinner?"

"Um…Have you seen your Mommy?"

"She's in Aunty Paige's room. I'll go get her…"

"NO!" Phoebe snapped, the panic evident in her voice. She had to vanquish the woogy. "Stay here and do not leave this room under _any_ circumstances!"

"Otay Mama…" Melinda-Jayne grabbed Prue's hand, knowing that her mother only shouted when something bad was happening. She watched Phoebe dash towards the stairs, the train of her dress trailing behind her, and looked to her cousin with fear in her eyes.

"It's okay Melly-Jay," Prue said calmly and confidently, "My Mommy will fix whatever's wrong!" (AN- I'd like to give credit to Prince Halliwell for coming up with that nickname!)

The kitchen was empty when Piper emerged from the basement. '_Lucky'_, she thought with a smirk; now she could wash the blood from her hands with no questioning. She made her way to the solarium where she could see the phone lying on the table and without hesitation, she blew it up in hope that Paige would just assume the line had gone dead.

As Piper headed back towards the kitchen, her mind turned to her other sister…and just _how_ she was going to kill her. It was not hard to know what would push her sister's buttons, but how to go about doing it was another thing altogether. Of course, years of demon vanquishing taught you how to deceive a person and Piper smiled a devious smile as she conjured an athame into her palm. She was certainly enjoying being evil.

The eldest charmed one ignored the pain that rocketed through her as she plunged the athame into her own shoulder. Blood began to slowly seep from the wound and she backed against the wall, forcing tears into her eyes.

"Phoebe, help me!" She called, her voice full of very convincing fake distress. "Help!"

Phoebe reached the bottom of the stairs and could have sworn she heard something hit one of the windows. However, she took no notice and continued on her way to the kitchen where she hoped to confront Piper and hopefully find Laura unharmed.

"Phoebe, help me!" Came the sound of her older sister's voice, "Help!"

Phoebe halted for a moment. She remembered using that tactic when she had been possessed by the woogyman, but she could not help being worried. "It's a trap," She told herself, but when she entered the kitchen to find Piper on the floor with a deep wound in her shoulder, she was not sure her statement had been true. Blood was rapidly spreading across Piper's green tanktop and her face held a mixed expression of fear and apprehension.

"Paige…" The eldest charmed one choked out, taking a deep gulp of air, "She attacked me…"

"Paige?" Phoebe gasped. Something was telling her this was a lie. "I thought she went to the store?"

"Me too…but I think the woogy got her…"

"Oh my god…" Phoebe placed her head in her hands and did not see Piper's smirk of success, "That explains why she asked you to clean her room- so that the woogy could attack you…" As the new information settled in Phoebe's mind, nothing made sense any more. She picked a towel from the counter and pressed it against Piper's wound, still not knowing if Piper was evil. Her mind suddenly turned to her missing nieces and her eyes widened. "Rachael was with Paige! And Laura's gone! You don't think…"

"Phoebs…" Piper said through a sob. Her acting was very convincing, "Laura, she- I couldn't stop her…"

"What happened?"

"She's at the bottom of the stairs…"

Piper watched the panic flood through her sister and could barely contain her smile. Phoebe jumped to her feet, took a deep breath and began edging way down the stairs. Only Phoebe could attempt to vanquish a demon whilst wearing a wedding dress the day _before_ her wedding.

'_Pity…_' Piper thought, taking in how beautiful her sister looked. '_That dress really does look too nice to ruin…_'

Phoebe stood only three steps from the top of the stairs and narrowed her eyes in an attempt to see through the darkness of the large basement. She knew she had to help Laura, but she was paralyzed in fear; a fear for herself and her unborn baby; a fear so overpowering she could not describe it. Her heart raced and small beads of sweat trickled down her neck. She could have protected her sister- whichever one was actually possessed- from the woogy, but she hadn't. Now Laura's life was at risk and Phoebe was beginning to blame herself.

"I can't go down there, Piper…" She whispered. She felt pathetic; a grown woman too scared to enter a room, even when she was perfectly capable of protecting herself.

"Yes you can Phoebs. Have faith in yourself." Piper continued to urge her sister towards the basement. At least this way the woogy could kill her and Piper would only have the death of one on her conscience.

Phoebe placed a foot on the next stair and she was hit with an idea. "I've got it!" She exclaimed and her whole body tensed up. At the bottom of the stairs, astral Phoebe appeared in an orange flare. She wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand and knelt next to the small, trembling body of her niece. The slow rise and fall of Laura's chest showed Phoebe that the three year old was still alive, but she was rapidly loosing blood and was barely conscious.

"Sweetie, thank god you're okay!" The middle charmed one whispered, "Your Mommy didn't mean it. She was under a spell."

"Mommy?" Laura asked, her voice trembling and barely audible. A small trickle of blood escaped her mouth before she spoke, "It was Aunty Pipew…"

"Shit!"

Phoebe's brow wrinkled in confusion as she turned to the stairs where she could clearly see the form of her own body. She got to her feet, but stumbled backwards, eyes wide in shock as she saw Piper appear in the doorframe behind her body.

"Sorry Phoebs…" Piper sneered, conjuring an athame into her palm. For a moment, she seemed to hesitate, but her eyes flashed black and her look of fear turned to one of amusement. "It really was a nice dress…"

"Piper, no!" She called, but it was too late. The astral projection disappeared as the real Phoebe Halliwell slumped to the ground. Blood escaped the wound in her side and her breaths slowly got shorter and shorter.

As Piper pulled the athame out of her sister's side, she staggered backwards and, once again, was hit with a shocking realisation of the heinous act she had just committed. Fresh blood remained on her hands and she stared at them wide eyed. What had she just done? She had stabbed a loved one for the second time that day…she was evil and it didn't feel good anymore.

"Piper?" Phoebe choked, edging away from her sister. She knew her baby was okay, but she was terrified of what Piper was capable of. "You have to fight this!"

"I…I can't" Piper stammered. She wanted nothing more than to conquer it, but the evil was consuming her and the woogy had been right…she was too weak to fight. As hard as Piper tried to overcome it, evil was beginning to engulf her again. She had to do something…but what?

"Piper, you're stronger than this!" Phoebe told her, her voice was becoming quieter and she was rapidly loosing consciousness. "Say the spell…"

"I can't Phoebs…I'm sorry…" Piper's fist came into contact with her younger sister's temple and Phoebe fell backwards. The eldest charmed one did not feel satisfaction this time, but she was too lost in evil to vanquish the woogy alone. She slumped against the wall and brought her knees to her chest and although she tried to ignore it, the voice calling her name from the basement was becoming more and more inviting.

Prue and Melinda-Jayne had not moved from Prue and Laura's bedroom. MJ was happily playing with her doll on the bed, but the eldest cousin could not shake off the unpleasant feeling she had in her stomach. She began to pace the carpet, looking tremendously like her mother, as if pacing would help a solution come to her. However, none came and the nagging in her mind telling her to go to the Book of Shadows was growing.

"Melinda-Jayne?" She said. Even at four her voice was full of authority, "Stay here okay? I'm going to the bathroom."

"Otay Plue!" MJ replied, still preoccupied by her doll as Prudence left the room.

At the top of the stairs, Prue used all her strength to push open the large wooden door. Her mother had always told her to stay away from the attic, but something was drawing her there. The room was filled with clutter, which normally the little girl would have spent hours exploring, but the one thing that was grabbing her attention was the podium in the centre of the room where the huge, old, tomb of a book resided. Prue knew what book this was: The infamous Halliwell Book of Shadows.

"Wow," She exclaimed, standing on her tiptoes and taking a closer look at the cover. "The triquatlar…"

Unable to see anything but the cover, Prue began to levitate a few inches off the ground. Just as she was opening the book, she fell to the ground in shock; the pages had begun to turn themselves. When they eventually stopped turning, the small girl got to her feet and began levitating once more. The flipping of the pages had not perturbed her; she was used to odd things happening in the Manor.

"I wish I could read…" She said with a sigh, staring in frustration at the page covered in small writing. She considered using a spell, but her mother always told her not to use magic for personal gain. Then again, her Aunty Paige did it a lot, so perhaps this one time wouldn't be so bad? "Hmm…" Prue trailed off in though, hoping for some sort of rhyme to come to her. "…the book turned pages and I need… to cast a spell so I can read…"

Prue's eye flashed white and when she looked down again, what had just looked, to her, like a page of gibberish, was completely understandable. She smiled a satisfied smile, brushed her shoulder length, raven locks behind her ears and put her petite face closer to the Book of Shadows.

"The Woogy Man." She read from the title, followed by a giggle at her newfound intelligence. Her huge, doe brown eyes moved from side to side as she continued to read in silence, frightened that if she read it aloud, her daddy's bosses would know she had cast a spell. When she came to the bottom of the page, her jaw dropped. She may have only been four, but it did not take a genius to work out that the book had turned to the page on the woogy for a reason. "Mommy…" She gasped as realisation dawned on her. Her mother had been snappy and cruel earlier…and she had been in the basement, "…oh no!"

Though, from what she had understood of the page, the woogy could have corrupted her mother to the side of evil, Prue shook off her fear and, with a look of sheer determination, grasped the book firmly in her hands and disappeared in an array of twinkling, blue lights.

Paige had eventually given up her fight with the old Victorian manor and was sat silently on the steps, fighting back tears of fear and frustration. Rachael and Andy had finally fallen asleep in the stroller and the two adults were running out of ideas. Leo took a seat next to his sister-in-law and sighed. The sun was setting over the city and though the sight was spectacular, neither the whitelighter nor the half-whitelighter was smiling.

"Did you call Mark?" Leo asked, noticing the phone in Paige's hand.

"The phone at Quake's been engaged for the past half hour." Paige told him angrily. "Besides, I can't just pull him out of work! I think he's had more family emergencies in the past year and a half than anyone else has had in a lifetime! What's the use anyway? There's no way we can get in!"

"There has to be some way." Leo told her, though he wasn't sure he believed himself. "Someone inside will fix this if we don't."

"How can you be sure?" Paige snapped, "How do you know Piper and Phoebe can handle this?"

Leo could not reply; there was no way to be sure, but a sudden voice in his head shocked him back into reality. "Prue?" He whispered, "Oh god!"

What the two helpless adults outside did not know, however, was that Piper or Phoebe would not be the one handling anything, but the small, four year old girl who had inherited her namesake's determination and attitude towards demon vanquishing. Prue rematerialized in the dining room and she had not been aware of quite how heavy the Book of Shadows was. She dropped it to the floor and looked around cautiously for her mother. As much as she liked to think she was a 'big girl', fear was pumping through her veins and she could not brush away the growing panic inside her. What if she was too late to save Piper? What if her mother was already evil?

Heavy, as the Book of Shadows was, Prue lugged it with her to the kitchen. The sight that met her eyes was too much for the four-year-old witch/whitelighter to handle. "Aunty Phoebe?" She gasped. Blood was spreading across the linoleum in all directions around her Aunt's body. Tears burned the brims of Prue's eyes and her heart sank. She had always known about demons, but never had she expected one to harm her family so violently. Phoebe had a large bruise forming on her temple and blood stained the entire right side of her wedding dress. The one thing more horrifying to the four-year-old than the sight of her Aunt, was the fact that she knew her mother had done it. "It wasn't mommy…" She whispered, her voice cracking and tears spilling out, "It was the woogy…it was the woogy…Daddy!" She called, her confidence quashed by the sight of her Aunt. "Daddy, help!"

Leo did not appear, but someone else did.

"Prue?" Piper gasped, emerging from the basement, "Get out of here!"

"Mommy…" Prue trembled in fear and tears continued to spill down her face. Her mother's shoulder was bleeding, but the emptiness in Piper's eyes told Prue that this was not really her mother. "The woogy getted you…"

"Leave!" Piper screamed and for a moment, her eyes flashed back to normal, "Before I hurt you too…"

"Mommy?" Prue said again, "I bringed the spell to help you…"

"I said leave!" Piper screeched. She backed away and an athame appeared in her hand, but she dropped it. Seeing her daughter's distress was helping to uncloud Piper's mind, but it wasn't enough.

"No…" Prue's fear still remained, but determination was shining through. Her tremendous willpower was paying off and, for once, was getting her out of trouble rather than into it. "I's gonna rescue you!"

"Prue no!" Piper lunged forward to where her daughter stood near the kitchen counter in a bid to stop her daughter encountering the demon that was filling her with evil, but was a second too late. Prue and the Book of Shadows were gone, and Piper knew exactly where they where: the basement.

Prue had always loved her Aunty Paige's bedroom, but now, she hated it with a passion. As the orbs formed into the petite form of the small girl and her large book, the shadow crept out of his crevice. Prue, too distracted by the sight of her best friend lying lifeless at the bottom of the stairs, did not notice.

"How nice of you to drop by. Filthy half-breed!" The deep and ominous voice growled.

"Leave me alone you big bully!" Prue yelled back. She was paralyzed in fear, but was not going to give this demon the satisfaction of knowing that; something she had learned from her Aunt Paige. "I's gotted a spell wiv your name on it!" She said smoothly and at that moment, though she was unaware of it, she looked exactly like her Aunt Prue.

"Do you? You pathetic child! You're just like your mother- not powerful enough to vanquish me!"

"I am light," She started, reading aloud from the open book, her voice shaking but very strong, "I am one too strong to fight. Return to dark where shadows dwell. You cannot have this Halliwell…" She looked up, petrified. What she was saying was barely taking any effect. Maybe the woogy had been right?

Piper watched form the top of the stairs as her daughter's brave efforts failed. Once again, her body seemed to battle with itself…good? Or evil? Now was the time to choose. Evil was so exhilarating and even if she did choose good, she would never be able to forgive herself, but good was what she had been born to be. Watching Prue's desperate attempts to save her, she made up her mind.

"Go away and leave my sight," She joined her daughter in chanting and Prue's smile told her that she had made the right decision.

"What? You can't betray me now! You'll pay for this!" The woogy's voice got fainter and fainter as mother and daughter finished the spell.

"And take with you this endless night!"

The woogy was gone, but neither witch looked happy. Piper curled into a ball and what she had done finally settled in. Phoebe was just barely alive and god only knew what she had done to Laura. Her own minor wound seemed unimportant as she crawled towards her sister.

"Leo!" She bellowed. Piper had never imagined how strong the woogy was. Her whole body shook and guilt soaked through her like water through a sponge. "Leo!"

Leo, Paige, Andy and Rachael all appeared in a swirl of familiar orbs.

"It's about freaking time!" Paige yelled, but as she looked around the room, her eyes widened and she stared at Piper in sheer terror, "What the hell did you do?"

"I…he…the woogy…Paige, I'm so sorry…"

"Where's Laura?" The youngest charmed one asked, her voice full of concern and trepidation. "What the hell did you do to her!"

"Paige… he was so strong…"

"I don't care how freaking strong he was Piper, what the hell did you do to my daughter?"

She followed her sister's gesture towards the basement and was running down the stairs within moments.

She saw her daughter, blooded and barely alive and she stood frozen in shock. She refused to believe that Piper had done such a thing, but it was clear that eldest charmed one had been corrupted by evil. Paige swallowed the bile that rose in her throat and could barely contain her anger. She watched in dismay as Prue broke down into a pool of sobs in the basement, over Laura's lifeless body and was just as shocked as her niece when a golden glow emitted from Prue's palms and began healing Laura.

"Mommy?" Laura's distressed voice came as she sat bolt upright.

"I healded!" Prue exclaimed proudly, "Aunty Paige, I vankished the woogy and healded Laura!"

"Thank you so much!" Paige said, pulling both girls into a huge hug, "It's okay Pixie, mommy's here and the woogy's gone."

"But Aunty Pipew…" Laura was trembling. She was obviously still shaken by what her favourite Aunty had done.

"Laura, I'm so sorry." Piper said from the top of the stairs, tears streaming down her cheeks and still bleeding from her shoulder.

Laura's grip on her mother's waist tightened and Paige did not know what to say. She was still unaware of what had really happened. She shot her sister a venomous look, but seeing her distressed state, something told her it had not been Piper's fault. She had no idea what the woogy was capable of, but Piper had stabbed Laura and that was all Paige could think about.

"Pixie?" Paige whispered in her daughter's ear and although she was unsure of whether or not the statement she was going to make was true, she had to tell the petrified little girl something. "Aunty Piper was under a spell, okay? She didn't mean to hurt you."

Laura looked her mother in the eye and averted her gaze to the staircase where Piper sat.

"Otay." Laura gave Paige one last hug before she orbed out and back in beside her aunt. She edged away from Piper and pressed her back against the wall. This only made her sobbing Aunt more upset.

"I am so sorry…" Piper choked. She had never felt so awful in her entire life.

Laura had never thought Piper would cry; Her aunt was always so brave. Yet there she was, begging for forgiveness. The three year old only needed to look into Piper's eyes to know she was genuinely sorry and although she was still apprehensive about approaching her, accepting the apology seemed like the best way to make the situation better. "I fowgive you." She said quietly and when Piper's sobs became more violent, Laura moved to allow Prue to cuddle her mother.

"Mommy?" The unlikely hero whispered, "Don't cry."

"I'm so proud of…" Piper beamed through her tears, "You were so brave."

"I knowed you wasn't bad really Mommy." Prue said confidently, "We getted the woogy and I getted a new power!"

"I know sweetie, you earned it."

In the kitchen, Phoebe awoke with a jolt. She saw Laura watching Piper and Prue hugging at the top of the stairs and relief washed over her.

"Oh thank god, Leo!" She exclaimed, looking towards the whitelighter who had just healed her, "My dress is okay!"

Not even the sobbing, guilt ridden Piper could hold back a snort of laughter at this comment. Phoebe was so self-centred sometimes. The family gathered in the kitchen, Piper not moving from the stairs, and Leo began to explain that Prue's new power was a reward for her intuition and bravery. Piper still felt awful about what she had done, but going demonic was a regular occurrence in the Halliwell family and she was sure it would not be the last time a Halliwell went bad. Her tears did not subside as she began to explain the day's events to everyone. She knew Paige was not going to forgive her for a long time. She was never going to forgive herself. What she had done was unthinkable; she had nearly killed her sister and her niece. Although her family had turned evil on many occasions, they had never hurt another family member. Her slow and barely audible explanation was interrupted by a small voice from the doorway.

"Mama, I hungly!" Melinda-Jayne moaned, completely unaware of everything that had just happened. "What's fo' dinna?"

"I think we're getting take out sweetie." Phoebe replied over a chorus of giggles.

There was an odd atmosphere in the Manor that night. Paige spent time in the attic reading up on the woogyman and never leaving her daughters sides. Having nearly lost one of them again was having a very negative effect on Paige's enthusiasm towards magic. It appeared, from the entry in the book, clearly written in Phoebe's handwriting, that the woogy was a lot more powerful than Paige had realised. She knew she probably shouldn't, but avoiding Piper was helping her clear her head. She knew how guilty the eldest charmed one felt and she had accepted the thousands of apologies Piper had made. However, Laura was clearly shaken by the experience and Paige knew for certain she would not be sleeping in the basement for a while.

Phoebe, on the other hand, had forgiven Piper immediately. She was the only other Halliwell who knew how overpowering the woogy was and even though she had not hurt anyone when she was possessed, she knew how her sister was feeling. When she was not comforting Piper, Phoebe spent the entire night worrying about her wedding. Her butterflies were becoming more intense by the minute and even spending an hour on the phone to her fiancé did not calm her nerves. It was almost a relief that the earthquake had hit the day before the wedding and Phoebe still had her fingers crossed for a demon free day: One which Piper was set on helping her achieve.

Piper had to explain what had happened for a second time when Mark returned home, which only made her more aware of how awful her acts of violence had been. Even though Phoebe and Laura had already forgiven her, she insisted on making up for it. Trays of chocolate chip cookies lined the kitchen: Piper's way of saying sorry and also rewarding Prue's extreme bravery. Piper even sat through an hour of 'The Care Bears Movie' with her niece, in the hopes that the look of fear in Laura's eyes would disappear. As the trust was slowly repaired between the eldest and youngest charmed one, Piper realised that although magic was the best thing to have ever happened to her, it had its flaws. She knew it was going to take a while for the dust to settle, but she also knew that she was a good person and that her heinous acts were par for the course as part of her charmed destiny. Luckily, everything had turned out okay and Piper was satisfied knowing that on some level that she would learn from her experience and become a stronger person. Of course, Piper was not wrong. The worst day of her life had actually allowed her to grow and, on the bright side, she certainly knew which bedtime story she'd be telling the kids every night.

AN- okay…so, I know some of you probably wanted to read about Phoebe's wedding, but I thought it may get intensely boring if I wrote about a normal wedding, no? Anyway, I have plans to write snippets of things such as Phoebe's wedding and Mark and Paige's first meeting much later on in flashback scenes! I promise next week's chapter, 'A Nauctater's guide to the galaxy', will be a lot more enjoyable and a lot less evil! Please stick with me here folks! Hope you liked it! Don't forget to review and, May the cheese be with you!

Laur xXx

PS. If anyone could tell me the name for Water manipulation (which I think is hydrokinesis), the ability to shoot electricity and the ability to control wind, (see how stupid it sounds when I say that!) I will be eternally grateful!


	16. A Nauctater's Guide to the Galaxy

Hi there chickens! (Don't ask…) Thankles for the reviews:D If anyone was interested (which I'm sure you're probably not) The tile for this chapter was a play 'A hitch hiker's guide to the galaxy'.

Passions- Glad you liked it!

Peanut2lb- wow! Your review made my day! I'm glad you liked little Prue! I was really trying to capture her likeness to Piper and big Prue. I deserve a reward? I no longer feel guilty about indulging in chocolate today! Lol!

BlueOrbs998- -**Grins very widely-** Wow! All my reviews were awesome, but I think yours was positively the best! I am so chuffed! I made you almost cry with something I wrote? Wow, I'm impressed with myself! There isn't much interaction between Laura/Paige and Piper in this chapter, but more will appear later. I am so glad you liked it! Thanks for the tremendous review!

Prince Halliwell- Thanks for the review! Everyone's been so awesome this week with reviews! And it was in chapter4 that Phoebe got the power to astral project! (Did you forget? Lol!) Lastly, I must express my envy! Our Easter break doesn't start until next Friday! Hmph! Then again, two weeks off school is worth the wait! Thanks once again!

Money makes me smile- Thanks for the review! And thanks for saying it was amazing! I am so unbelievably happy right now! And thanks for the power names too!

Angelone2- thanks for the review! I'm glad you loved little Prue!

Powerof4- I'm glad you're happier now! Lol! Laura does rock! She and Andy are definitely my favourite of all eight kids there will be! Thanks for the review!

Cutleryismyfriend- That review was…interesting! Lol! I love the Rocky Horror Picture show! I wish my cheese could eradicate your writer's block! I miss your fic! I guess Paris and Banff (That's where I live) are closer than Toronto and Banff…and who's to say I don't have a virtual bodyguard? Lol! You rock!

This chapter takes place four months after the last. It is really just a day in the life of Mark; what he really thinks of the Halliwells and what exactly being a nauctater involves. The reason I decided to write it is because I basically have Mark's entire life story in my mind, but barely any of it had come across in my writing! It's written in third person, but is basically in Mark's POV.  
His thoughts will be in italics. I felt the need to write another feel good chapter, so that's what we've got! Not as interesting or exciting as the last I'm afraid, but I've been really busy at school! (Curse that awful place!) I hope you enjoy it!

**Chapter16- A Nauctater's guide to the galaxy**

Mark groggily sat up and ran a hand through his tousled curls. He looked to his left and smiled; Paige looked so beautiful when she slept. He grabbed some underwear from the drawer at the side of his bed and slipped it on quietly before making his way to the other side of the room. Paige and Mark had only been back in the basement for a week and had spent the last four months sleeping in Phoebe's old bedroom. Things had almost returned to normal- well as normal as would ever get in the manor- and Piper had only just begun to stop spoiling her eldest niece. Even though Piper and Paige were back on good terms, the relationship between the sisters was clearly strained. Mark, who still did not fully understand what had happened in August, was just glad that everyone was finally happy again. The clock, which hung on the wall behind him, told him that it was seven thirty and apparently Rachael was the only other morning person in the Halliwell family.

"Daddy!" She squealed, reaching over he crib excitedly.

'_Thank God you're back to calling me Daddy,_" Mark thought with a smirk. For the past week, the tiny redhead had picked up on her mother's tendency to call him Spanky. Looking back on it now, the nauctater was quite amused, but at the time, the people in 'Wal-Mart' had given him a few odd glances.

"Good morning Snowflake," He whispered, pecking his daughter's button nose and lifting her from her crib.

"G'monin," She replied, eying the stairs leading to the kitchen with a smile, "Tacakes?"

"Pancakes, huh?" He replied with a raised eyebrow. He could still not understand why Americans ate pancakes for breakfast- he'd always considered them an afternoon snack. Nevertheless, his daughters both seemed to adore them in the morning, so he did not question the strange, foreign custom. "Just let daddy put some trousers on, okay?" (AN- I mean no offence to people who eat pancakes for breakfast! Lol!)

He placed Rachael onto the floor and she looked up at him, smiling; She was definitely a daddy's girl. Mark grabbed the first pair of trousers that came to hand- a pair of faded blue jeans with rips in the knees- and pulled them on carelessly. He had never been one for caring what he wore when he was younger and had still not grown out of that trait.

"Daddy?" Rachael asked, looking curiously at his choice in jeans and pointing at the holes in the knees, "boken!"

"Broken?" He replied with a smirk, "They're meant to be like that honey. Now, let's go get those pancakes!"

"Yay!"

"Whatever floats your boat…" Mark picked Rachael of the floor and shook his head. _I mean, pancakes, for breakfast?_

The kitchen was empty and evidently, he and Rachael were the only people awake- not that Mark was surprised. Piper was usually the first up after the nauctater but she had been working late at P3 and Mark did not expect to see her up any time soon. He had always had the ability to survive on little sleep- it came as part of being a nauctater. Of course, growing up on a farm helped too.

Mark sat Rachael in her highchair and ruffled her ginger locks. He had been the only one of the three Anderson brothers without red hair. He smiled at the thought of his brothers. He hadn't seen Douglas and Iain in such a long time and was counting down the days until he, Paige and the girls would make there way to Scotland for Christmas. Coincidently, the rain, which had been lashing down on San Francisco for the past couple of days, was bringing him closer to home. Mark had always loved rain. Neil Anderson, Mark's father, had possessed the gift of hydrokinesis and since his untimely death on Mark's ninth birthday, the nauctater had considered rain as his father's way of saying hello.

Mark placed the large glass bowl on the kitchen counter and searched the many cupboards for flour. Piper cleaned out the cupboards so often that it was hard to find anything in her kitchen. A third of the cupboards were full of potion ingredients and Mark could only imagine what a mortal would say if they came across beetle toe amongst Piper's cake ingredients. _Hmm… eye of newt pancakes? Nah, I'll save that one for when Phoebe comes to visit… _Mark smirked to himself and continued the search for flour. When he did eventually find it, he carelessly placed it next to his daughter's highchair and as he turned back from the fridge, from where he had been retrieving the milk, he let out a booming laugh. Rachael's hair was no longer red, but white, as was the rest of the toddler.

"Sofake!" She squealed excitedly, throwing more flour over herself. "I sofake!"

"Yes you are daddy's little snowflake, aren't you? And now you really look like one." Mark continued to laugh as the kitchen became more and more covered in flour. _If Piper gets up now, she's going to have a hairy fit! _"Rachael, I think the flour's meant to go in the bowl sweetie."

"No flowa! Snow!" She argued with an innocent smile, which Mark could not get angry at.

"Okay, well I think we should put the snow in the bowl, don't you?"

"Make tacakes?"

"Yes, it will help us make pancakes. Now are you gonna be a good girl and give daddy the snow?"

"Otay!" She said, nodding her head and clapping her hands excitedly, "Lola s'up!"

"Laura's up?" Mark asked. It had become apparent since the day the woogyman had attacked that Rachael had, in fact, inherited a whitelighter power: The ability to sense not only evil, but her close family members too. "Well, we better clean up our mess before she tells Aunty Piper it was snowing in the kitchen, don't you agree?"

"Spell!"

"Okay, but don't tell your mummy… Let the object of objection become but a dream as I cause the seen to be unseen…shh!"

As the Halliwell kitchen miraculously rid itself of 'snow', Mark turned to see his youngest daughter's statement had been correct. Skipping happily along the corridor, still dressed in her bright yellow, Sponge Bob Square Pants pyjamas, was Laura, whose recent growth spurt had left her as tall as Prue. She jumped into her father's arms and kissed his slightly off centre nose.

"G'mornin!" She exclaimed happily.

"Hi Pixie!" He smiled, placing her gently back on the floor, "How are you today?"

"I's good daddy!" She replied cheerfully, "Is Mummy bein' a sleepy head?"

"Yes, Mummy is a sleepy head, but we're not going to wake her today."

"Tacakes Lola!" Rachael yelled excitedly. "Tacakes fo' beakfat!"

Laura giggled in response to her younger sister's enthusiasm. Mark watched his eldest climb onto a stool so she could reach to give Rachael a hug and he beamed. He had always known he had wanted children, but never had he imagined that they would be this perfect.

After breakfast, Mark's smile had not faded. Rachael, it appeared, had managed to get more pancakes on top of her head than in her mouth and Laura had been trying to explain to her father how the moon was really made of cheese. The thing that scared the nauctater was that, if she really wanted to, Laura could turn the moon into cheese with a simple rhyme. All of the children were getting so powerful and considering what they were able to do at such a young age was quite a frightening thought. The parents were proud of their children's magical ability but what Mark found very amusing was that Jason was terrified of what his daughter would be capable of when she was born. Ava had assured Phoebe she was having a girl and the only explanation the Charmed Ones could come up with for the baby's apparent lack of powers was that she was going to have the same power as her mother.

Phoebe was due any day now and her inability to travel long distances meant that she was around the Manor less than usual. This also meant that the power of three was vulnerable and Mark's nauctater duties were taking up a lot of his time. Other than the fact it meant spending less time with his family, Mark did not mind this. He loved being a nauctater. Vanquishing demons always gave him such an adrenaline rush. The previous evening, he had been investigating a group of lower level warlocks who were planning to kidnap someone in Pacific Heights and he was going to foil their plans tonight. Of course, he was not going to tell Paige because she would undoubtedly believe they were going after Phoebe and insist on spending the night in Phoebe's house to protect her. It wasn't that Mark disliked Phoebe, but Jason was another story. Fortunately, Rachael had gained her father's dislike of her uncle and Mark frequently used this as an excuse to get out of spending time with the entrepreneur.

It was quiet mornings like these when Mark liked to sneak a peak at the Book of Shadows. He had initially planned on looking up information on the warlocks he would vanquish later that night but, as always, he got caught up in another page of the book. Despite being a member of the Halliwell family for four and a half years, he seemed to find something new in the book of shadows every time he opened it. Much like the Haliwells, the magic in the Anderson family dated back to the sixteen hundreds, but Mark had never seen such a vast array of magical knowledge in his life. It certainly helped him in his nauctater duties. On this particular morning, he sat alone in the attic with the infamous book resting on his knees, lost in a page about a demon catching ice-cream man. Even with growing up in a magical family, he had never dreamed up anything like this; an ice cream man? What the hell would he find next? He began flipping through the slowly yellowing pages, skipping information about tracer demons and darklighters, but his eyes came to rest on the page headed 'Nauctaters'.

Even though the entire male generation of his family were nauctaters, it suddenly dawned on Mark that he had never actually heard another magical person's view of them. He was quite insulted by the minuscule size of the paragraph, but felt a huge amount of pride wash through him when he read his family name.

_In the early sixteenth century, a group of male practitioners: four brothers by the names of Thomas, Clifford, Douglas and Rowland Williams, were selected by the elders to fulfil a magical destiny. Each was given an individual elemental power: Fire to Thomas, Water to Clifford, electricity to Douglas, and Wind to Rowland. With these powers they would hunt demons and, more importantly, protect innocent mortals from dark magic. They became known as Nauctaters, though are more commonly thought of as 'demon hunters'. The four brothers went their separate ways, but continued to fulfil their destinies and passed on the nauctater gene to all of their male descendants. Not much is known about these tremendous witches, except that they are not guided by whitelighters, but by Nauctaters from the past, so, in a sense endings are also beginnings for these men. It is now unclear how many Nauctaters are left alive in the world, but the most well known to the modern magical community are the Andersons of Scotland._

(AN- those names are weird, I know! But meh!)

Mark smiled. This was one topic the Anderson Book of Shadows had more information on than the Halliwells. He returned to the kitchen and discovered that his wife had finally gotten out of bed. She was sat at the breakfast table with a huge mug of coffee, apparently trying to block out the happy shouts of her nephew, who had just discovered they were getting pancakes. Of course, Mark considered half past eight in the morning to be positively late, but knew if you tried to have an intellectual conversation with a Halliwell woman before they had received their daily intake of caffeine, you would most likely be blown up, orbed to a far away place or perhaps even premonitioned to death.

"Good morning sweetheart," he said, wrapping his arms around Paige and placing a tender kiss on her tousled hair. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah." She grumbled, "Where are the girls?"

"In the solarium- bathed, fed and dressed by yours truly!" He replied and then added with a sly smile, "I could always help you to bathe too…"

"Really?" Paige asked with a raised eyebrow, "Whatever are you implying, Mr Anderson?" (AN- did that remind anyone else of the Matrix?)

"Um guys? Yeah- kids- in the room!"

"Sorry Piper…" Paige replied, biting her lip to contain her smile, "Right, I'm going to take a shower and no, you are not coming with me."

"Damn!" Mark exclaimed sarcastically and as Paige wandered off to the bathroom, he took a seat on her chair and grabbed the orange juice from the centre of the table. He grinned to himself as he poured it into a glass. _I must be the luckiest man alive._

The rest of the rainy December day was uneventful as far as days went for the Halliwells. Although the rain was dampening everyone else's spirits, it lifted Mark's good mood. He and Leo spent the day Christmas shopping for their wives and, much to Mark's disgust, were joined by Jason, who seemed to better everything the others bought. However, the nauctater took it upon himself to tell Jason of all the magical mishaps the children had caused and he was particularly amused by Jason's reaction to finding out Prue had been turned into a cat.

"Any day now," Mark had said, "You'll have your own bundle of magical joy to deal with."

The evening brought about another of Piper's fantastic meals. It was very enjoyable, but due to Mark's eagerness to get out and vanquish, it passed very slowly. After tucking his daughters in and singing each a lullaby, he made his way to the front door where he found Paige waiting to say goodbye.

"Be careful." She told him sternly, but lovingly, taking his hands and pulling him into a tight embrace.

"I always am Sweetheart!" Mark replied, placing a kiss on the top of his wife's head and smiling at her unnecessary concern. "You worry too much!"

"I know!" Paige said, grinning. "It comes from living with Piper for four years…god that's a long time…we should move out!"

"What?" Mark couldn't help but be surprised. That had come completely out of the blue, but he could tell from the expression on her porcelain face that Paige was deadly serious. "I guess the Manor does get crowded…"

"My point exactly!"

"We'll see." Mark looked at Paige and her angelic smile still gave him butterflies. He couldn't help loving everything about her, even her tendency to spontaneously make decisions. He could have stood, staring at her all night, but knew he had to get going. "I'll be back around two, okay?"

"Okay, I love you!"

"Love you too. Bye!"

Mark gave Paige one last kiss before grabbing his brown leather jacket from the hook beside the door and exiting the house. He had not even started up the engine of his Harley, but already his adrenaline was pumping. He had a feeling that tonight was going to be interesting. He did one final check to make sure he had his athame and wide selection of potions, which Paige had taken the liberty of making, and sped out of the driveway with a smile. _Time to kick some warlock arse!_

The cold, damp weather meant that the streets of San Francisco were relatively empty. Most people would have been perturbed walking alone through a dark alleyway at midnight, but the eerie atmosphere only made Mark more eager to hunt. To the nauctater, hunting was almost like a drug; it gave him a buzz he couldn't describe and the exhilaration was extraordinarily addictive. Not even the incredible Victorian houses that lined the streets of the city's most upper class area could distract Mark tonight. He knew the warlocks were near and they were going to meet their demise tonight; Mark would make sure of it.

He rounded the next corner almost too quickly and only just stopped in time. Mark was torn between being amused at the warlocks' odd appearance, or shocked at the fact Paige's paranoia would have been correct- they were standing outside Phoebe and Jason's house. Standing in the huge garden, under the shade of a large beech tree, was the most unlikely group of warlocks you could imagine. The leader, a scrawny man with slicked back, greasy, blond hair, wearing an emerald green cloak which trailed on the ground due to his stunted growth, was standing in front of his four companions. They were dressed similarly to their superior, each looked as undernourished as the next and their abnormally large, shifty, yellow eyes were darting around as if following a small insect in flight. Mark had been looking forward to this all day, but it was beginning to seem a bit anti-climactic._ Boyzone go bad? This will be much too easy!_

Mark pulled the athame from his belt and rolled his huge, mysterious blue eyes. Of course, he loved vanquishing evil in all forms, but ever since he and Leo had single handedly taken on the Nasus tribe three and a half years ago, nothing ever seemed like a challenge. He crept forward, a few steps at a time, being as quiet as he possibly could. Despite the tremendous size of their eyes, the warlocks did not see him approach. Mark almost had to stifle his laughter at their sheer stupidity.

"Fit like lads?" He asked with a grin, making his presence known so that he could at least have some sort of fun. His Scottish dialect always emerged when he was on a high.

"What the hell?" The warlock in command asked, obviously taken aback by the appearance of the muscular Scotsman. His fellow warlocks turned to face Mark and, although the nauctater thought it impossible, their eyes widened.

"I said _fit like_?" He said cockily, causing a look of fear to spread across the evil beings' faces as he threw a blinding potion to the ground, disabling their blinking power. "Hope you weren't planning on hurting my sister-in-law…or my nieces for that matter!" Rage swept through him and he lunged his athame into the chest of the nearest warlock, smiling in satisfaction as the scrawny being's face turned from white to purple and he exploded in a fiery vanquish, covering Mark's leather jacked in a viscous, yellow substance. _That's enough to put me off custard for a year…_

"What!" Cried the leader, who appeared to be the only one with a voice, "Our master did not warn us of this!"

"And who might your master be?" Mark asked, ducking to avoid a purple energy ball, thrown by the bravest of the four remaining warlocks.

"My brothers and I will never tell you, witch!" One of the others yelled, his bug eyes bulging and tiny red veins appearing at either side of his abnormally large head.

"Now, I've always been a fan of honesty, and since your not being honest with me, I'm afraid that something's going to have to be done about it." Mark thrust forward his left palm and concentrated all his energy into the one area of his body. He smiled widely as his electrokinesis sent a shocking blue bolt of electricity from his hand and destroyed yet another of his adversaries. "Come on boys, speak up!"

"Tell him Garton!" The warlock nearest Mark exclaimed as a shot of electricity narrowly missed his head.

"We vowed not to betray our master." The leader- Garton- hissed. A grotesque, green liquid spat from his pale, narrow lips and as a spark hit Mark's arm, the nauctater had to bite his lip to stop him from wincing in pain. He could feel it eating at his skin, but had never liked to show he was in pain. At least he knew what these pathetic warlocks were capable of now. He took a step back and shock washed through him as Garton's acid vanquished the fellow warlock.

"I see sibling rivalry isn't just a Haliwell trait…" Mark mused, "Are you going to tell me or not?" Mark stood at six foot four and compared to the two small and spindly warlocks, was very intimidating. He threw his arm into the air and shot a huge bolt of electricity into the clouded night sky, lighting his face in a very ominous manner.

"Our master…" The remaining follower spluttered, "His name is D…D…De…Decr-"

"Silence you fool!" Garton snapped, vanquishing another of his brothers, leaving Mark very frustrated.

_Decr? … Decr**on? **…it couldn't be… could it? Decron is dead. Stop being paranoid._

Mark brushed the thoughts of Decron to the back of his mind and rage began to bubble in his stomach. This warlock had just vanquished two of his own brothers and yet, he was smiling. It made Mark sick. This creature had no soul. He did not deserve to live.

"I hope you rot in hell! Where you belong!" He violently flung a vile of acid green liquid into the chest of his enemy and instinctively stepped to the side, so to avoid the custard like blood.

"You can't escape him!" Garton screeched, his face becoming a deeper and deeper shade of purple, "My master will be your end and he's closer than you know!"

"All in a day's work…" Mark whispered, rubbing his hands together and grinning from ear to ear. He took a quick glance at Phoebe and Jason's new house and noticed one of the upstairs lights had been turned on. He contemplated going in to make sure everything was okay, but decided he would call in the morning- He had vanquished the warlocks; it wouldn't be that big of a deal. _Phoebe's probably got that awful bladder problem Paige had with Laura. God help Jason Dean…_

Normally, he would have gone straight to work on finding the warlocks' master, but tonight as he jogged along the dark and empty streets, the vibrating of his cell phone stopped his plans. He pulled out she small phone and read 'Piper' from the miniscule, flashing screen. _Why the hell would Piper be phoning at this time?_ He stopped in his tracks and began to get a little panicked. Something bad must have happened.

"Piper?" He asked, answering the call.

"No Spanky, it's me!" Replied Paige cheerfully, turning Mark's panic to confusion. "Just using Piper's phone! Where are you just now?"

"Why?" He enquired. This was certainly an odd evening.

"Well, are you anywhere near Pacific Heights?"

"Yeah, actually…why?"

"How long will it take you to get to Phoebe's? She's having the baby!"

"Oh!" _Maybe it wasn't just a bladder problem after all…_ "I'll be there in two seconds!"

"See you soon!"

"Yeah…"

Mark snapped his phone shut and placed it in the safety of his back pocket. He turned and retraced his steps into the garden of his sister-in-law's home, his mind filling with thoughts on the warlocks. What if they were not planning on kidnapping Phoebe or MJ, but the baby? He smirked, knowing that he had very probably just saved his niece's life, but there was a nagging in the back of his mind: How had they known the baby was coming?

He rang the doorbell several times, before deciding to open the huge, oak door and let himself in. This was not the first time he had been in the house, but the interior still impressed him. The historic, Victorian exterior contrasted greatly with the modern inside and Mark knew Jason must have paid a lot to get the house redecorated to suit he and Phoebe's liking. However, it did not surprise Mark that Jason would have done so; he appeared to believe money grew on trees. _Why the hell am I just standing here?_ He thought, realising he had been gawping at the signed Beatles platinum record attached to the wall, when somewhere in the huge house, his sister in law was having a baby.

"Hello?" He called, up the stairs, "Paige?"

"We're up here Mark!" Came a reply from Leo, who sounded as if he'd rather be somewhere else.

Mark placed his blood covered jacket on the end of the banister and began running towards the voice of his friend, taking two stairs at a time, his boots leaving damp footprints on the pale carpet. He arrived on the second floor and was greeted by his eldest daughter, who, with MJ not far behind, came running up to him with a huge smile on her face. He picked up both girls and looked around for an adult so he could ask what was going on.

"Daddy, guess what?" Laura asked with a wide smile, showing where her front tooth had fallen out. "The stork is comin' with Aunty Phoebe's baby!"

"Really? And where might everybody else be?"

"Mama upstaiws." Melinda-Jayne told her uncle, pointing to yet another staircase, "Havin' baby!"

"She's a little excited!" Came a voice from behind and Mark was relieved to see Leo emerge from one of he many rooms, "Girls, go back in and sit with Prue, okay?"

"Yes Uncle Leo," Laura replied as her father placed her back on the ground. "Goodnight Daddy."

"Goodnight Pixie." He watched his daughter and niece run into a large, yellow bedroom, which he assumed was MJ's and turned to face the whitelighter. "I see you've been elected for child watching duty!"

"Believe me, it's a lot better than being up there with Phoebe! Which, I'm sorry to say, is where you're going!" Leo patted Mark's back and smirked.

"Wait, _I've_ got to go up there? You're the one who used to be a doctor!"

"Yeah, well you vanquish demons every night; you can handle a woman in labour!"

"Yeah, _demons_ are a lot less frightening…" Neither of the two men occupying the landing liked the thought of having to help deliver a baby. Having done it before, they both knew exactly what it involved and a home birth without drugs was not going to be pretty.

"Sorry buddy!"

As Leo orbed out with a cheeky grin, Mark threw his hands into the air in defeat. He heard Leo's muffled laughter coming from MJ's room and his eyes narrowed.

"Rapscallion!" He bellowed in a false English accent, but was smiling nonetheless. "You owe me one Leo!" (AN- you won't get the 'rapscallion' thing unless you're a Monty Python fan, but to me, it's funny! Lol!)

Mark chuckled at his own awkwardness as he stalked up the stairs like a moody teenager who had been sent to their room. He, Leo and Cole often joked about woman in labour and it was coming back to bite him in the ass. He didn't need to ask to find out where Phoebe was as her screams of pain told him.

The nauctater cautiously pushed the door open and edged into the room. However, nobody noticed the six foot four witch enter; they were all preoccupied by the tiny infant wriggling in Phoebe's arms. Mark's relief of not having to experience Phoebe's childbirth was outweighed by his happiness at having another niece.

"Hi," He whispered, wrapping an arm around Paige. He had to force back happy tears as he watched Phoebe and Jason coo over the small girl, who was staring at her mother through a pair of huge, gorgeous, brown eyes. The baby kicked her legs and grabbed Jason's index finger. A single tear rolled down the cheek of the proud father and he was smiling wider than anyone had ever seen him do before.

"Hey there baby girl," He whispered, "Aren't you just as beautiful as your Mommy?"

"But she has her Daddy's nose," Phoebe choked, kissing the baby's head. "She's so beautiful."

"She looks like Mom," Piper said with a toothy smile, running a hand over her nieces sandy hair, "What are you gonna call her?"

"Charlotte," Jason announced, squeezing Phoebe's hand, "After Melinda Warren's mother, so I'm told."

"And Penelope after Grams," Phoebe told them, "Charlotte Penelope Halliwell-Dean, welcome to the family."

Mark took Paige's hand in his and looked her in her eyes, which were glistening with tears of joy. The Halliwells certainly produced beautiful children. This thought gave Mark a sudden broodiness and he smiled lovingly at his wife. Maybe a third child wasn't such a bad idea? Paige appeared to be thinking exactly the same thing, but as she snuggled her head into Mark's chest she whispered slyly, "Not until we get our own place,"

"Okay sweetheart." He replied before kissing her forehead and returning to stare at the fidgeting baby girl. "I'll go and get MJ." He offered.

As he left the room and jogged down the stairs, the smile he had been wearing since the morning did not leave his face. He feared that if he admitted it, something would undoubtedly go wrong, but today had been perfect.

AN- Feel good? Good! Lol! I know it kinda sucked, but I am particularly fond of this chapter! I realised just how hard it is to write a 'Charmed' fan fiction without really mentioning a proper 'Charmed' character- that is very! Lol! I don't know how you're gonna react to Charlotte's birth, but it seemed fitting for my attempt for a feel good chapter, no? Also, I'm really eager to get my next chapter written! I love it! Please review! (I'd threaten you with flying monkeys but, much to my dismay, I noticed another author has stolen them from me! HMPH!)

Laur x

PS. I'm gonna leave a teaser for next week's chapter, 'Double Oh, Heaven', just so you can look forward to it: Andy goes missing on his birthday and two people (who I know Peanut2lb is very fond of- _hint hint_- lol!) will be paying the Halliwells a visit in order to get him safely home.


	17. Double 0 Heaven

Hello there! Welcome to the latest edition of 'A life of magic', with your host… Laur! -**Cue cheesy music- **On tonight's show we'll be visited by two familiar faces from the past! But to start with, let's thank all those who reviewed! (I've always wanted to be a TV presenter! Lol!)

Prince Halliwell- Thanks for the review! I was wondering when someone was gonna figure Paul out! I thought it was really obvious! Lol! The next kids won't be for a while but yes, it will be Piper and Paige who have them! I'm on holiday now, but I don't know if I'll update more often coz I'm very busy! (Exams coming up, drama club rehearsals and family vacation next weekend! London Baby! Lol!) Sorry!

Peanut2lb- Here's what you've been waiting for! Lol! I'm glad you love Mark! I was worried what people would think of him, as so many Paige fans are Paige/Glen or Kyle shippers! I am not a Phoebe fan either (but you've probably guessed that…) Anyways, won't keep you waiting any longer! Enjoy!

Powerof4- Thanks for the review! I promise 'Spanky' will be explained- all in good time my friend, all in good time! 'Fit like' translates to what like but it basically means 'what's up'… I probably should have explained that! Lol!

Blueorbs998- Dude, your reviews always make me smile! One of the best charmed stories you've ever read? I love you! Lol! Thanks for all the compliments!

Passions- Thanks for the review!

Phiona- Thanks for the review! So you figured it out, huh? Well done!

Kendal-Paige-Charity- thanks for the reviews! I was planning on calling her 'Charlie', but maybe I will call her 'Lottie'! Thanks for that suggestion!

Money makes me smile- Thanks for the review! Believe me, I fully understand the homework thing! The kids ages are as follows: (Yeh, I know they kinda learned to talk really quickly, but I'm just gonna pretend that's normal! Lol)

Prue- 4 (nearly 5)

Laura- 3 (nearly 4)

MJ- 2 and a half

Andy- 2

Rachael- almost 2

Charlotte- 2months

I've divided this chapter into two parts because it was really long, but I'm hoping you won't mind because that means the two 'guests' will be staying for two chapters! It's set two months after the last. Hope you enjoy it and please review!

**Chapter17- Double O, heaven**

"Where's Charlotte gone?" Phoebe cooed playfully, covering her eyes with her hands and gasping when she removed them to look into her youngest daughter's smiling face, "There she is!"

"She didn't go anywhere silly!" Prue told her Aunt Phoebe matter-of-factly, waving a pink rattle in her baby cousin's face.

Charlotte stretched her tiny arms forward in a bid to grab the brightly coloured toy and began to innocently blow bubbles. The little girl was definitely smaller than any of her cousins or her sister had been at two months old, but she was certainly beautiful. Even at such a young age, her likeness to Patricia Halliwell was clear, but there was a distant likeness to her father too. Like most Halliwells, she had inherited brown hair, but her most striking feature was her mesmerizing, brown eyes. Jason, at times, would just sit staring at them. Having a daughter had definitely softened him up and he had now given up a lot of his work to spend time with his family. He had even gained a little respect from Mark.

At the other end of the kitchen, Andy scowled and he began to shout loudly for his mother, who was heating up a bottle for her niece in the microwave. He sat in his highchair and began to telekinetically throw Piper's cake mixture against the walls; unhappy with the fact his cousin was getting attention on his birthday.

"Andrew Victor Halliwell-Wyatt, what do you think you are doing?" Piper scolded.

"Uh oh Andy!" Laura exclaimed, grabbing her cousin's hand, "She useded all your namesis!"

"Uh oh!" Andy mimicked with a giggle. Over the past couple of months he had developed an admiration for Laura. "Birsday boy bin bad!"

"Yes, you have." Piper said, but she couldn't help smiling. She had not really had to experience the 'terrible twos' with Prue, but the eldest charmed one knew her son would be a different story altogether. Up until recently, Andy's whitelighter side had been much more prominent, but he had unexpectedly had a major increase in the amount he used his Wiccan power. He was suddenly developing the same headstrong attitude his sister had inherited from her Aunt Prue and as much as Piper was glad for this, she couldn't help but wonder if it had anything to do with the fact he had been given his Aunt's power. "Now Mommy's gonna have to start making your cake all over again!"

"Oops!" Andy squealed excitedly. "Pictas?"

"Pictures? You really are turning into your Aunt Prue…" Piper said, ruffling her son's hair, "Let's go find the camera then!"

"I'm comin too!" Prue exclaimed excitedly, jumping from her chair and following her mother and brother out of the room.

Laura remained alone beside the highchair with an unusually timid look on her face. "Mommy, you come too?" She asked quietly, shuffling towards Paige and tugging on her sleeve with a pleading look in her eyes.

Paige, who had been preoccupied with showing Jason pictures of the apartments she and Mark were considering buying, looked to her daughter with concern. Laura would still not go anywhere with Piper alone and Paige could tell she really wanted to help look for the camera with her cousins. "Okay," She said and a smile spread across her face, "Orb race?"

"Yeah!" Laura replied enthusiastically, her face lighting up, "One, three, two go!"

"Math has never been the Halliwells strong point." Phoebe mused, watching her niece and sister orb out.

Orb-racing had become the latest craze in the Halliwell household, though Paige was the only Charmed one who would allow it. Piper and Phoebe had a sneaking suspicion that this was because their younger sister enjoyed participating, but left her to have her fun.

"I beated you!" Laura squealed in delight, pointing at her mother and sticking out her tongue.

"Yes you did!" Paige replied, glad to have lifted her eldest daughter's spirits. "Now let's look for that camera!"

As the two began to rummage in boxes, Piper, Andy and Prue entered the room. Piper, clearly knowing they had orbed, gave Paige a glare, which the youngest charmed one pretended not to see. Within minutes they were raking through many old cardboard boxes, whilst Andy sat on the loveseat and fiddled with his array of 'I am two' badges. His attention only drifted when Laura came across a box full of old photo albums and he took a keen interest in the album headed 'High school parties'.

"Dat Aunty Phee!" Andy yelled, pointing excitedly towards a picture in the large red album.

"Oh my god!" Paige scoffed, peering over her nephew's shoulder at the photo of a younger looking Phoebe wearing a tight, black, leather dress and steel capped boots, accompanied with wild, flyaway hair and paperclip belt. "I see Phoebe's Halloween costumes haven't changed much!"

"Um… that was Phoebe's seventeenth birthday party…"

"You mean, that is _not_ fancy dress?" At the shake of her sister's head, Paige fell backwards laughing. "I though _I _had no fashion sense!"

"Who dis?" Andy asked, turning the page to reveal yet another teen charmed one.

"That, my little birthday boy, is your Mommy!" Piper replied, taking a seat on the love seat and placing Andy on her knee so they could look through the album together.

"Mommy?" He gasped, staring from the petite girl in the picture with large, thick-framed glasses and braces, to his voluptuous and beautiful mother.

"Yeah!" Piper told him with a grin, turning the page so her youngest sister would not see her embarrassing teenage self, "And who's this?"

"Aunty Plue!" Andrew yelled loudly, his eyes lighting up as he waved his hands in the air at the mention of the woman who had given up her powers for him, "Dat Aunty Plue!"

"Who's the man with her?" Prue asked her mother, pointing to the handsome young gentleman whose arms were wrapped around the elegantly dressed teen.

"Well, that is who your broth-" Piper was about to begin explaining about her older sister's high school sweetheart, but was cut off by her son.

"Dat Uncoo Andy!"

"How did you know that?" Piper questioned with a knitted brow. She, of course, had told Andy of his namesake, but knew she had never shown him a picture.

"Did he just say Uncle Andy?" Paige asked her sister.

"Yup!" Andy replied, pointing at the adolescent Andrew Trudeau in the picture once more, "Dat Uncoo Andy!"

"Yeah…I guess he probably would be Uncle Andy if he hadn't died..." Piper, for a moment, lost herself in thoughts of what may have happened if Andy Trudeau had lived. Would she have been the first to have children and get married? Would Prue have passed on? However, there was something she did not understand, "…Andrew, how did you know who that was?"

The two year old looked to his mother with a mischievous twinkle in his eye and grinned. "No telling!" He announced as his disappeared in a twinkle of lights, "Secwet!"

"He's only two and already he's as cryptic as his father!" Paige quipped.

Downstairs, Andy rematerialised on his father's knee and rolled backwards giggling, much like his Aunt Paige had done upstairs. The living room had been decorated for the small boy's birthday and Leo, Victor and Mark sat discussing the upcoming Valentines Day. His son's mischievous giggle brought a smile to his face, but he was curious as to what was so funny.

"Hey buddy! What are you laughing at?" He asked playfully.

"Nufin!" Andy replied, shaking his head, "I be good!"

"Good, huh?" Piper's voice came from the doorway. She carried her older sister's camera under one arm and the high school photo album under the other. "Why did you orb away from your Mommy?"

"Zip!" The two year old exclaimed, pulling a hand across his mouth to symbolise zipping it up, before wrapping his arms around Leo's neck and hiding his cheeky grin by burying his face in his father's shoulder.

"Wicked camera Piper!" Mark exclaimed from his seat in the corner, where he sat with a snoozing Rachael lying across his chest. "Can I take a look?"

"Sure," Piper replied, still smirking at Andy's odd behaviour, "But first let me get a picture of Rachael. That is too cute!"

"She's an Anderson, what do you expect?"

"Okay, just let me put some film in the- hey! There's an undeveloped film in here already!"

"I can't quite contain my excitement." Mark said sarcastically, cocking an eyebrow.

"No, you don't understand! This was Prue's camera…" The eldest charmed one's face lit up as she removed the film from the camera. Perhaps the film would contain an image of Prue, closer to the time of her death than the ones which currently hung on the walls of the manor. "We have to develop these!"

"I'll do it if you want to get back to making the cake?" The nauctater offered.

Piper's eagerness to develop the films did not disappear and half an hour later, Mark placed the pile of pictures on the kitchen table for the viewing of the Halliwell sisters. (AN- I have no idea about photography so let's just pretend Mark is able to develop photos, okay? Lol!) On top of the pile resided a picture of Phoebe, wrapped in Cole's arms standing outside Pier Thirty Nine. The middle charmed one was quick to dispose of it before Jason or Charlotte could catch a glimpse.

"God, these pictures are old!" She said, plucking the next one, showing Piper dressed as 'Galinda, the good witch of the North', from the pile. "Was this the day we delivered Melinda Warren?"

"You delivered Melinda Warren?" Paige asked with a raised eyebrow, realising she did not know as much about her sisters as she thought.

"Yeah… it's a long story…" Phoebe replied, but before she could go any further, Piper had thrust another picture into her hand.

"Look," She exclaimed, "This was when we were infected with the seven deadly sins!"

"The seven what?"

"Deadly sins!" Piper repeated, "Prue was infected with pride… guess that's why there are so many pictures of _her_ in here!" She smiled, getting her wish for pictures of her deceased sister, but grief also hit her. Suddenly, she missed Prue more than she had done in a very long time and she had to restrain her tears.

"You okay?" Paige asked, handing Piper a tissue.

"Yeah…I just miss her…"

Andrew sat in his highchair and his smile turned to a frown as his mother began to sniffle. He knew it was the memories of his Aunt Prue that were upsetting her and he knew how he could help, even if his Aunt Prue had told him it was naughty.

"It otay Mommy," He whispered, "Andy fix it!"

Piper looked at her son gratefully and as he orbed out she expected him to reappear on her knee. When he did not return, however, she began to get a little panicked. "Andy?" She called, her voice echoing through the old Victorian Manor. There was no reply.

"What did he mean when he said he'd fix it?" Victor enquired, placing a hand on Piper's shoulder.

"I don't know!" She replied with panic etched into her voice, pushing her father's hand aside and rising to her feet and continuing to shout, "Andy?"

"Me thinks he goed to the attic." Laura told her Aunt as she and MJ ran down the corridor, enjoying what they considered as a game of hide and seek. "Ready or not, here we comes!"

"The attic?" Piper thought out loud, "Why would he go to the attic?"

The sight of the entire family, minus the small boy, traipsing up the stairs was quite an amusing one and had it not been for the curiosity about Andy's behaviour, Mark and Jason would very probably have fallen behind laughing. Laura, due to her head start, was the first to reach the attic door. Using all of her strength, she slid it open and in a bid to frighten her younger cousin let out a loud "Boo!" However, the person who received the fright was not Andrew, but someone the little girl was both shocked and ecstatic to see. The woman's long raven locks hung in loose curls around her face, accentuating her delicate cheekbones. Her skin glowed with a radiant beauty and her blue-green eyes stared in wonder around the room. Her white dress made her appearance even more angelic and, as always, incredibly beautiful. "Aunty Prue!" Laura yelled, running forward and jumping into the arms of the very confused woman. "What is you doin' here?"

"I have no idea." Aunt Prue replied, hugging her excited niece, who had grown considerably in size and beauty since she had last seen her, but gawping in shock at her own corporeal body. How the heck had she gone from arguing with Grams in heaven to appearing in the attic of the Manor if nobody had summoned her? (AN- I'll all big Prue 'Aunt Prue' when she's in scenes with her family so you don't get confused, kay?)

"Laura, is Andy up here?" Piper's voice came from half way up the stairs, "Tell him his cake is going to bur-" Piper's sentence cut off midway as she reached the door. Her heart stood still in her chest and she dropped her purse to the floor in shock. Tears sprang to her eyes as realisation of whom Laura was hugging sank in. "Prue…"

"Piper…" The eldest Halliwell sister spoke slowly. It had been a year and a half since she had seen her last but she looked as young as she has ever done. "Come here and give me a hug!" Even if she did not know the reason for her being there, Aunt Prue was going to take full advantage of the situation.

"Oh my god!" Piper gasped, wrapping her arms around her sister. "What are you doing here?"

"She gots no ideas!" Laura answered for her aunt, bouncing up and down excitedly on the spot for several seconds before running to the attic doorway. "Mommy! Is you guessin' what?"

"What Pixie?"

"Aunty Prue is here!"

At the three year old's announcement, the troops on the stairs quickened their pace and soon, all four sisters were hugging in the centre of the attic. When they eventually separated, and each brushed away their tears, Aunt Prue looked to the man who was standing in the doorway; the man she had hated for most of her life; the man she was now over the moon to see.

"Daddy!" She yelled with childlike innocence, running forward and wrapping her arms around Victor, who had a single tear running down his cheek.

"Hello Prue." He replied, stepping back to look into his eldest daughter's eyes, "I've missed you."

After a brief moment of silence, Aunt Prue turned to face her family. There had been a few additions since she had last visited and it was time to be introduced. Of course, the small matter of why she was here was playing on everyone's mind but Prue felt as though she should savour the time she had on earth.

"You must be Rachael." She said to the tiny redhead who was toddling around her feet.

Rachael peered shyly through her hair and grabbed her father's leg bashfully. When Mark picked her up, her small hand grabbed a lock of his dark curls and she let out a timid giggle. "Who dat lady?" She whispered in his ear, but everyone heard and had to stifle their laughter.

"That's your Aunty Prue, Snowflake. Are you gonna say hi?"

"Hi!" She yelled, her shyness being quashed when she heard who the woman was. This was the 'superwitch' her Aunties and Uncle Leo always spoke about.

"Hi there," Aunt Prue replied, taking Rachael from Mark's arms and giving her brother in law a toothy grin. "You know, she kind of looks like Charlotte Warren?"

"You speak to Charlotte Warren?" Phoebe questioned, looking from her sister to the small baby in Jason's arms.

"Yeah," Aunt Prue replied, "But I'm more interested in speaking to Charlotte Halliwell right now."

"Halliwell-Dean," Jason corrected with a proud smile before offering his hand to the corporeal ghost, "Hi, I'm Jason."

"I know; I peek," Prue replied, accepting the handshake and coughing to smother her laughter at Rachael's disgusted expression.

Paige swiftly took her youngest from her sister's arms, noticing the ice chips appearing on the redhead's fingers and the mischievous expression, which spread across her face. She knew Rachael liked to show off her power, especially when Jason was her target. "No powers," She hissed playfully. "Understand?"

"Yuhu…" Rachael replied with her best attempt at an innocent expression.

Aunt Prue moved towards her youngest niece and her smile widened. "…Phoebe, she's gorgeous." She said quietly, staring into the baby's captivating brown eyes and running a hand over her thin layer of brown hair.

"Mommy says she looks like Nana." Prue told her Aunt, stepping up to her before being embraced into a huge hug.

"I hear you've been quite the little hero?" Aunt Prue whispered, unsure of whether the Woogy incident was still a touchy subject in the Manor. "I'm very proud of you."

"Thank you Aunty Prue!" The little girl replied proudly, grinning from ear to ear.

"MJ huggles now!" Melinda-Jayne announced, feeling slightly left out and toddling towards her Aunt happily.

"Well Melinda-Jayne, you are just turning into your mother more and more every day." Aunt Prue said, noticing MJ's likeness to Phoebe. "Let's just hope you don't inherit her IQ…"

"I'm right here!" Phoebe exclaimed, hitting Prue playfully over the back.

"I was kidding Phoebs. And now, the only person left to hug is my favourite nephew! Where is the little guy?"

Piper, who had been too caught up in the arrival of her sister, was suddenly hit with a wave of panic. They still had no idea where Andy was and the memory of his tiny voice flickered in Piper's mind: "_Andy fix it!_" He must have found a way to summon his Aunt Prue. A way which had somehow made him disappear. Without a word, she dashed from the attic, Leo and hot on her tail, calling their son's name.

"Andy!" She bellowed, swinging the door of Andy's bedroom open. Her doe brown eyed scanned the green room, quickly realising he was not there. "Andy!" She yelled once again, banging into Leo, who had been searching Prue and Laura's room. "I can't find him!" She choked through a small sob. Leo embraced his wife and ran his hand through her hair, planting a gentle kiss on her forehead. As he was about to reassure her that they would find Andy, a shout echoing down the stairs broke the couple apart.

"Did you find Andy?" Piper asked, fearing the worst at the two rematerialised in a swirl of blue and white lights. Her eyes swept the room and she did not see her son, but someone with the same name who she had most definitely not been expecting. "_ANDY_? Oh my God!"

"Hi Piper," the spirit replied with a smile, "Long time no see!"

"Who the hell is that?" Mark hissed in Paige's ear at the other side of the attic with a very confused expression on his face.

"I have no idea." Paige replied, bouncing Rachael on her hip and staring attentively at the scene playing out in front of her.

"Everyone," Prue announced, "This is Andrew Trudeau."

"Hey," He said with a confused, but genuine smile, his blue eyes moving slowly around the room, watching the actions of the family he never got to become a part of. A small amount of sorrow washed through him as he looked at all of the children, wondering if he and Prue would have started a family had he lived. A small girl, who was sitting on Victor Bennett's knee, and he noticed had a striking resemblance to Piper, gave him a wave and two men he did not recognise, one of which was carrying a very small baby, nodded in acknowledgement. He looked at Paige, the one Halliwell sister he had not been a great friend with, who was carrying her daughter, and returned the smile she gave him. Phoebe, who had changed drastically since he had last seen her in 1999, gave him a broad grin. A small girl, clearly Phoebe's daughter, was recovering from the shock she had gotten when he appeared beside her, gestured meekly in welcome and the final little girl's huge blue eyes lit up when she looked at him.

"Hi," Laura said, her ever confident self, bouncing forward to take a closer look at the handsome ex-inspector. "Why is you see throughed, Mr Strudel?" She asked gazing into his eyes with a cheeky grin on her face.

"That's a mighty fine question!" Piper snapped, not intentionally sounding aggressive, but the worry over her son was evident her voice. "How did you get here?"

"I was hoping you could tell me!" Andy replied, "Still not really that knowledgeable about the whole magic thing…"

"Grams must have sent him to find out where I was- we had an argument. She's probably being too stubborn to come and find me herself." Aunt Prue told her sister before redirecting her voice skyward, "But it would be nice if he was solid!" (AN- I assume since Penny can summon Patty with the wave of a hand then people can be sent down from heaven? Well they can now!) She watched the love of her life- and afterlife- patiently, but he did not become solid. "Aw Grams, come on!" He flashed corporeal for a moment, but then became a spirit again, as if the person trying to make him look human did not have enough power. "Fine…stubborn old bat… I call the spirits, hear our plea, corporeal may this cop be!" (AN- I'd like to give credit to Prince Halliwell for that fantastic spell!) As her spell took effect, Aunt Prue gave a satisfied smile. "God, I've missed doing that!"

"Prue," Phoebe said, directing her gaze from Andy to her eldest sister, "No offence or anything but… what are you doing here?"

"To be honest Phoebs, I have no idea…" Aunt Prue glanced around the room, expecting someone to claim they had summoned her and her eyes came to rest on a very distressed Piper and Leo.

"It was Andy." Piper choked out, meeting eyes with Leo. "He saw that I was upset about missing Prue and told me he was going to fix it…"

"How is that possible Piper?" Phoebe questioned, "He can barely talk, let alone read a summoning spell!"

"Wait," Aunt Prue gasped, "Andrew's missing?" Piper gave a single nod. "…Oh crap…"

"_Oh crap?_ Oh crap _what_, Prue?"

"Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap…" Aunt Prue continued muttering as she pushed past Phoebe to get to the Book of Shadows.

"So _that's_ where Piper gets it from!" Mark said, watching Aunt Prue flick, at a rapid pace, through the ancient book and Andy gave him a knowing smile.

"I know what you mean," He said to the Nauctater, moving towards Aunt Prue in a bid to calm her down, "The Halliwells do tend to obsess…"

"I do not obsess!" Aunt Prue snapped, in a way only she could, "I think- intensely!"

"Yes Honey, we know." He replied, wrapping his arm around her and kissing her forehead tenderly. He didn't care who was watching. It was not often he could express how much he loved her to a group of people- _living_ people.

Piper watched her sister curiously. She did not want to know what Prue was looking for, fearing the worst for her son. An immense concern raced through her body, but she couldn't help smiling. It was odd to see how the relationship Prue and Andy had shared when they were alive had blossomed into so much more in the afterlife.

"What are you looking for?" She asked timidly, feeling Leo's strong hands rub her back in comfort.

Aunt Prue looked up from the book and glanced around the room sheepishly. Everyone was looking at her, but what she was about to say was not something she wanted the children to hear, especially little Prue, who had become just as protective of her sibling as she had been herself. She cleared her throat and looked to the two men she had only met briefly. "Could you take the girls downstairs?"

"Um…sure." Jason took Rachael's hand and motioned for MJ to follow him. He carried his sleeping daughter and was careful not to wake her as he exited the attic. To be honest, he was glad to get out of the room. The fact he had been talking to ghosts was slightly foreboding.

Rachael looked to her uncle in disgust and tried to pull her hand from his.

"I go wiz Daddy!" She exclaimed, stamping her foot on the stairs in protest.

"Daddy will be here in a minute Rachael, okay?" He replied, giving the little girl a smile. She certainly had Paige's stubbornness.

"No!" She bellowed, closing her eyes in concentration as a shiver ran down her spine.

Jason rolled his eyes, hoping Charlotte did not inherit that Halliwell trait, but his thought train was suddenly broken as he felt a burst of cold wash up his arm. He turned to look at his niece, who was beaming at herself as she shot ice up Jason's arm. His black shirtsleeve was suddenly covered in frost and as the entrepreneur yanked his hand away, he noticed the purple frost bite marks appearing on his fingers.

"Oopsie dasies…" Rachael giggled as she toddled happily down the stairs.

"Oh thank goodness your powers are passive, angel." He whispered to his sleeping daughter, rubbing his ice coated arm on the side of his torso in a bid to warm it.

In the attic Mark was having a hard time convincing Prue and Laura to leave the room. The eldest cousin stood firmly at her father's feet, arms folded across her chest and her dark eyes were glaring at her uncle, who was trying to chaperone her from the attic.

"I'm stayin'." She said firmly, "I'm a big girl!"

"Prue." Leo warned in an authorative voice, one which he only used in dire situations.

"Laura is getting to stay! That's not fair!"

"No she's not." Paige said with an apologetic look towards Laura, "Pixie, please go downstairs with Daddy."

"But Mommy…" Paige gave her daughter a 'no buts' look, but Laura continued, knowing that if she gave her mother the 'puppy dog eyes' she could get away with murder. "I wants to stay with Uncle Andy!"

"Pixie, go." The youngest charmed one spoke firmly, but averted her gaze, knowing her daughter would give her the eyes, "No more 'buts' young lady."

"Okay… I'll race ya Prue!"

As the two stubborn little girls orbed out of the attic, Laura taking her father with her, everyone but Andy stood with an amused expression on their face. '_Uncle Andy_'? He liked the sound of that. Laura was definitely a cutie, but the one Halliwell he had been set on meeting was the small boy who had inherited his name. However, it appeared that little Andy was missing and Prue knew something about his whereabouts.

"Prue?" Piper's voice cut through the ex-cop's chain of thought and he jerked his head upwards, hoping to here information about the small boy. "What are you looking for?"

Prue sighed sorrowfully and looked up from the ancient book, having found the spell she needed to find her nephew. "This." She stated simply, not knowing what else to say. She held up the Book of Shadows and watched everyone's jaws drop as they read the page's title. Printed in bold across the page was: 'to summon the dead'.

AN- I thought this was an appropriate cutting place! The next chapter may be a little shorter than this, but we'll see! I don't know if I'll be able to post it on Sunday because my Family and I are going on holiday to London (YAY!) next weekend and I don't know what time I'll get home. But for now chickadees, I bid you farewell! Oh, and Happy Easter! Please review (Only one more until I get to 100:D)

PS. I was thinking about dividing this story up, because what I have planned out is gonna take a hell of a long time and maybe I could make it four separate stories. Tell me what you think, and if the name of the story changes then it means I have decided to divide it up! Toodles x


	18. The Soul Train

Evening my precious Thanks for your fantabulous reviews! Laur is a very happy bunny! Since you asked so kindly, I've posted this today, but it means you wait longer for the next one:p Also, you may have noticed I've changed the name of the story? Hope nobody got confused! This one should end at around chapter 25/27, depending on how long the other chapters are and whether I decide to add any more! I have a huge plot outlined up until around the year 2035, but I've split up the story and turned it into a series (Does that make sense?) Anyway, back to my thanking…

s.halliwell24- Thanks for the review! You'll see what happened to Andy in this chapter!

Kendall-Paige-Charity- You read it four times! Wow! Glad you liked it so much!

Prince Halliwell- Yay! My 100th reviewer:D You already received your prize! Lol! Really glad you liked it, and how Andy knew Andy (lol) will be explained in this chapter! Enjoy!

Peanut2lb- Yay! My aim for the last chapter was to make the Queen of Prue and Andy (aka you) happy! SO glad you liked it. It really bugs me how they kind of forget Prue ever existed on the show too! They seem to forget everyone who dies on charmed! Lol.

Money Makes me smile- cooing like a chicken? I can't get that out of my head now! Lol!

BlueOrbs998- How can you make your reviews so awesome all the time? I'm so happy you love the kids! It's always hard to fit new characters into the charmed mix! Your gut feeling may very well be correct! Lol! And glad you liked Prue's quips! You'll have to wait and see what I have planned, but I've decided I'm definitely dividing up the story!

Powerof4- thanks for the review! Glad you like Prue and Andy's 'baby talk'. It's fun to write! I hope you get AoW2 up soon. I'm really looking forward to it!

Cutleryismyfriend- Thanks for the review! Glad you had a good time in Paris! And, 'the master of cheese?' I like that! Lol!

Phiona- Thanks for the review! How Decron knows so much will be revealed in next week's chapter! Let's just say, one of your theories was correct…

Alexa- Thanks for the review! I'm glad you like Paige and Mark. Writing them is awesome!

Okay, so I've tried my best to make explanations clear in this chapter, but if you don't understand please tell me! I've had these couple of chapters planned out for ages (these were actually my initial idea for a fanfic, but this had developed into so much more!), but they were really hard to put across information in, and this one's not as good as I'd hoped. Hope you enjoy anyway and please review!

**Chapter18- The Soul train**

"What the hell do you need that for?" Piper snapped, her eyes glazing over with tears. Of course, there was every possibility she needed it to summon Grams or Patty, but the expression on Aunt Prue's face told her otherwise. "Andy's not dead!"

"Well…"

Victor jumped as Piper collapsed into a dead faint. Leo took her from her father's arms and kissed her forehead gently. He could register none of the information he had just been given; Andy was dead? "How is that possible?" The whitelighter asked quietly, using his remaining strength to keep Piper upright and to hold back the tears that were fighting their way through the barrier he had created.

"He's not dead." Prue told the room firmly with a hint of guilt in her voice, She felt Andy squeeze her shoulder reassuringly and continued, "Just a spirit."

Something appeared to dawn on Leo as he remembered something the elders had told him and he began to gently shake his wife awake. "Piper," He whispered, as her eyes fluttered open, "Shh…it's going to be okay. He's okay."

Piper sighed in relief, but she still looked very shaken. She took a seat on the old loveseat next to Victor and placed her head in her hands. "Why do you need that spell, Prue?" She asked, wishing that her encounter with her older sister could be a happier one, but concern for her son dominating her heart.

"It's their connection of powers." Leo said and everyone averted their gaze from Prue to he.

"And spirits." Prue continued, glad that someone understood. Leo was still the reliable, walking Book of Shadows he had always been.

"What's your connection got to do with anything?" Piper questioned.

"Well, technically, Andy and I have a piece of each other's soul-"

"So he knows things about your life?" Piper's teary eyes were suddenly washed over with realisation. Prue nodded, "And that's how he knew who Andy was this morning when we were looking at those pictures?"

"Yes, but..." Prue knew she would have a hard time explaining the next piece of information, but also knew that she would have to. She closed her eyes and focused herself. "But the connection goes beyond that. When my powers transferred into Andrew, a part of me went with them. Because we share a small part of my soul, I'm sort of his spiritual guardian. I can teach him things without even being there; communicate with him without even opening my mouth. He doesn't share my memories, so to speak, but he knows things about me, and my life. There's a likely chance he'll also gain knowledge of people I've encountered or even demons we vanquished. That will be how he recognised Andy today. Before I transferred my powers, the elders warned me that it may give Andrew the ability to summon me down here, but because he did so, he took my place in heaven…" Aunt Prue screwed up her face, knowing she was not explaining it clearly enough, but she was trying to put it simply and she wasn't even sure if what she was saying was correct.

"He what?" Piper rose forcefully to her feet, her face a wash of emotion. "You said he wasn't dead!"

"Honey," Leo soothed, wrapping her in his arms, "Calm down, okay? I promise he's not. We'll get him back."

"_Calm down_?" Piper asked in shock, "I just learn my son is a freaking ghost because he wanted me to see Prue again and you want me to _calm down?_"

"Piper," Leo looked directly into his wife's watery, brown eyes and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Andy is going to be fine. We just have to get him to return Prue to heaven and he can come back."

"Wait, why can't Prue just return of her own accord? This doesn't make any sense!"

"Prue can't return because technically, since Andy has taken her place as a spirit, she's no longer dead…"

Ouch.

That hit a sore spot in Piper. "Prue's _alive_?" She gasped. Her son had the ability to bring her sister back from the dead at the cost of his own life and he was willingly doing it for her. As much as she wished Prue could stay on earth, she wanted Andy back. "But if Prue's alive, how is Andy not dead?"

"Because." Leo could feel his wife's confusion and it hurt him to see her so distressed. " She's not alive…just not dead." The whitelighter knew everyone but Prue was looking to him for an explanation and he was aware of everyone's eyes glued on him. "Andy's not destined to die yet, so for his spirit to go into heaven, someone had to be taken out. Because he has a small part of Prue's soul, when he became a spirit and entered heaven, she was the clear choice to come back to earth. Does that make sense?"

"I think so," Piper replied meekly. "…So, Prue can't return to heaven because Andy took her place, but she can't stay on earth because she's supposed to be in heaven?"

"Yes, to put it simply. The only way for Prue to return is for Andy to willingly come back down here."

"How do we get him to do that?" She questioned, her voice a hushed whisper.

"Either we summon him, or we ask another spirit to talk to him for us…"

"Okay," Piper was slowly calming down, but she was still visibly shaking. "We need candles…"

"Can't you just tell his teenage years are going to be fun?" Victor whispered to Paige, as they both watched the tender moment between Piper and her husband.

"Oh yeah!" Paige smiled at Victor's wisecrack, imagining what it was going to be like to send Andy to his room and discover five minutes later he had disappeared to heaven.

" Okay, I'm completely lost over here!" Phoebe exclaimed, waving her hand to get some attention. Prue and Paige rolled their eyes in an identical manner.

"Look," Paige interjected calmly, walking forward so she was between all three of her sisters, "Maybe we should go downstairs? The attic isn't exactly the most comfortable room in the Manor."

"I don't care if we're comfortable! Someone just get my son the hell back here!"

"Honey," Leo attempted to soothe his wife, by running is hand over her hair, but Piper met him with an icy glare. "Paige is right, let's go downstairs. We'll have Andy back soon."

"Promise?" She replied, with hope shining through her fear.

"I promise."

Piper, Leo, Victor, Phoebe and Paige quickly left the room, but Prue waited for Andy, who was trailing behind with a bemused look on his handsome face. He had certainly never expected to be back in the Halliwell Manor again. Yet here he was, in the middle of a magical situation, and he was beginning to feel out of place. Andy couldn't help but wonder if he would be used to these if he had lived.

"What's wrong?" Prue asked him, noticing he was dawdling.

"I was just thinking." Andy replied, taking her hand and leaving the attic.

Piper made her way quietly to the kitchen and smiled gratefully at Mark, who had removed the cake from the oven before it could burn. Rachael was watching attentively as her father mixed a bowl of frosting and MJ sat on the ground at his feet, pushing one of the toy cars Andy had received for his birthday back and forth between her legs. Leo wrapped his arms around Piper from behind and, as if reading her thoughts, whispered in her ear. "He'll be able to play with it soon."

The sound of the doorbell brought them both back into reality, but neither moved to answer it.

"Well don't all rush at once," Mark quipped as she dashed through the foyer, with Rachael resting on his hip, to answer the door. He took a quick glance at the staircase to find his wife only half way down them, and opened the door cheerfully. "Hi!" He greeted, but his face fell as he looked to the man, dressed completely in black, who was standing there.

"Hello," replied Paul McFarland, his voice sounding cold; it sent a shiver down the Nauctater's spine. Even in February, he was wearing his large, dark glasses and, nearing the bottom of the stairs, Paige struggled to hide her inquisitive look. "I got some of your wife's mail delivered to my house."

"Oh, thanks." Paige replied, moving into the doorframe and taking the envelopes from the man's outstretched hand. Her hand brushed his and, for a brief moment, Paige felt the need to vomit. She did not notice him flinch. Whoever this man was, she did not like the feeling he was giving her. Apparently, Rachael was no a fan of him either. Her lip began to tremble and she buried her face in Mark's shoulder. Paige wrinkled her brow and looked to the strange man. "Don't mean to be rude, but it's my nephew's birthday and I'm baking a cake!" Paige's lie seemed satisfactory and before Paul McFarland could even say goodbye, the door to the manor had closed.

Outside, Paul smirked. His visit to the Manor had been totally unnecessary, but he had to keep up pretences and it had satisfied him to see how much he was riling the Andersons. He liked nothing more than to see them suffer, even if it were only for a brief moment. However, where Paige had touched his hand, he felt as if a disgusting morsel of good was contaminating him. The redhead was also proving to be a problem. She appeared to have a very strong ability to detect evil. "Filthy half-breeds!" He snarled, wiping his hand on his black shirt in disgust.

When Prue and Andy reached the second floor, Prue looked to the stairs, which her sisters and Leo had already made their way down. Since the last time she had been at the Manor, it, once again, had dramatically changed. Hanging on the walls, in place of pictures of Halliwell ancestors, were pictures of Phoebe and Jason's wedding, little Prue's first ballet recital and family portraits of all three families. Prue let out a melancholy, yet oddly happy sigh. They still had the picture of she and Andy before the prom they never made it to hung in the corridor next to the room that used to be hers; she knew Piper would never let anyone take it down.

"Oh my god!" Andy said with a grin moving down the corridor to look at the picture of his seventeen-year-old self in a tuxedo, "You looked beautiful, you know?"

"And you looked as dorky as ever…too bad that dress didn't stay on for too long, huh?"

"Too bad? That was the best night of my life!"

"Yeah right!" Prue scoffed. She glanced inside Laura and little Prue's bedroom and her eyes widened in shock as to how much it had changed, but also to how much she would have loved that room as a little girl. "Look at my old room!" She said, pulling Andy closer to show him the pink and yellow walls and the stencilled 'Disney' patterns of the room where her nieces sat.

"I thought _that_ was your old room." He replied, nodding in the direction of Piper and Leo's bedroom.

"Oh yeah…I moved after you…um…died." Prue saw Andy roll his eyes and gave him a playful smack. "But you remember where my room was?"

"Of course. Things happened in that room that I'll never forget!"

"Like what?" A new voice cut in as Laura and Prue emerged from their bedroom.

"Um…" Andy looked at Aunt Prue for help but she grinned at him and picked Prue up and rested her on her hip.

"Dug yourself in that hole, honey!"

"Like what?" Laura repeated with pleading eyes. She had taken quite a shine to her 'Uncle Andy'.

The sound of a ringing doorbell, shortly followed by the sound of Rachael crying saved the ex-inspector from having to answer. At the sound of her sister's tears, Laura orbed herself out with a concerned expression on her face.

"Thank god for the over-protective Halliwell gene!" He whispered, but noticed both Prues had followed the little girl in a separate cloud of blue and white lights, which Andy was positive, were called orbs.

When he eventually found Prue, she was in the living room with Paige and Mark, trying to calm a very panicked Rachael. The small girl's face was red from tears and her beautiful, blue eyes were full of sheer determination. Andy couldn't work out what she kept repeating to Paige and Mark until he was only a few feet away from them.

"He dat bad man!" She insisted with a sniff, obviously someone had riled her, "dat bad bad man!"

"What bad man, Rachy?" Laura asked her sister, deep concern showing.

"Door man bad!" The redhead replied as ice chips shot from her fingers and into her sister's hair.

"Shh, Snowflake." Mark whispered as Paige wiped Rachael's tears with a tissue. He turned to his wife and raised his eyebrow, "Is she talking about the creep from across the street?"

"Yeah…I think so… Snowflake, are you talking about Mr McFarland?"

"Yuhu…" Rachael's face freed of frustration as her parents caught on to who she was talking about, but her lips remained in a firm pout.

"Sweetie, why is he bad?" Paige was curious as to how this man could have caused her daughter to be so frightened. Of course, she had received a bad vibe from Paul McFarland too, but nothing so strong as to terrify her. Rachael looked as though she was contemplating the question, and when she finally looked up at the people around her, all she could do was shrug. Paige felt Mark give her hand a reassuring squeeze, but she couldn't help feeling perturbed. Rachael was not even two yet, perhaps the bad vibes radiating from their mysterious neighbour had effected her so badly because she was so small? The youngest charmed one sighed and shook her head, snuggling into Mark's embrace and watching Laura hug Rachael. Whoever Paul McFarland was, she would find out…but that was going to wait until Andy was safe and sound, back in the land of the living.

"I got candles!" Phoebe announced as she stepped into the living room, Victor and Jason, who was carrying Charlotte, following closely behind.

"I getted candles too!" MJ yelled, waving the brightly coloured box of birthday cake candles she had just picked up from the kitchen in the air excitedly. "For da birsday cake!"

Phoebe smirked at her daughter before shooting Paige a confused glance as to why Rachael had been crying, but Paige responded with a disdainful roll of her eyes. She loved her sister to pieces but was Phoebe completely oblivious to _everything_? Aunt Prue caught on to her youngest sister's chain of thought and struggled to contain a snort of laughter. She and Paige were definitely very similar.

Phoebe placed the candles in a circle on the living room floor, unaware of Aunt Prue and Paige smirking to each other. When Piper, Leo and Prue entered the room, she began lighting the candles as an odd silence swept across the family. Everyone knew the time was nearing to say goodbye to Aunt Prue, and a theme was beginning to emerge in that her visits would always be short lived.

"So…" Aunt Prue rose to her feet, preparing to bid farewell to her extended family, slightly irritated that she could not stay for longer. First, she picked up MJ and kissed her cheek. "You be good, okay?" She said with a toothy smile. When MJ nodded, Aunt Prue turned her attention to Phoebe's other daughter. She pushed her face close to the tiny baby and grinned. "Bye baby!" She cooed, before adding in a sly whisper, "…and promise me you'll inherit your father's brains…"

"Prue!" Phoebe scolded teasingly, knowing her sister had intended it as a joke, but taking a slight offence.

"You know I was kidding!" Aunt Prue told Phoebe, pulling her into a tight hug. "I'll miss you! And you make sure my nieces grow up good, okay?"

"Of course!" Phoebe replied as tears began to form in her eyes. "I'll miss you too."

"Jason," Aunt Prue continued, deciding she did not know him well enough to hug him, but taking the opportunity to let her protective oldest sister genes shine through. "You treat Phoebe well, or you'll have me to deal with. Got that?"

"Um…" Jason looked slightly taken aback, but his shocked look soon turned to a loving smile, "I could never do anything to hurt her."

"Good." Aunt Prue looked satisfied and turned to face the second brother-in-law she did not know. However, surprising everyone in the room, she pulled Mark into a hug. She lowered her voice to a faint whisper, so that only the nauctater could hear her, "Look, I didn't get the chance to protect Paige in life… but I think you're doing a damn good job of it now! Thank you, and make sure you look into that guy who made Rachael cry."

"O…kay…" Mark looked even more taken aback than Jason had done, but felt a sense of self pride. If the all-powerful 'superwitch', Prue Halliwell, had accepted him into the family, then he was definitely worthy of the Halliwells. He met Paige's confused look with a grin, which said 'I'll tell you later.'

"You, little missy," Aunt Prue continued, crouching to come face to face with Rachael, once again lowering her voice, "You be good and make sure you practice your powers a lot around Uncle Jason, okay?"

"Yup!" Rachael beamed, kissing her Aunt Prue' nose, before blushing innocently and running to hide behind her father's leg.

"Please, please, please don't go!" Laura pleaded, knowing she was next in turn for a hug. "You can have my bed! I can sleeps on the floor!"

"I'm sorry sweetie, but I have to go back up there."

"Okay." Laura looked disappointed, but smiled sweetly.

"Goodbye Sweetie. Be good, and look after your sister, okay?"

"Okay… Goodbye."

"Missy Paige," Prue stepped towards her youngest sister and smiled. Although they had met each other three times now, there was still an awkward tension between them. They shared a hug and Aunt Prue, finally getting a chance to play big sister to Paige, looked her in the eye lovingly. "Be good," She said, as though she had been waiting to say it her entire life.

"I'm always good!" Paige replied cheekily with an innocent twinkle in her eye.

When Aunt Prue finally turned to face the Halliwell-Wyatts, she was almost too choked up to say anything. Nevertheless, she fought her tears and gave her niece a hug. "Goodbye Prue,"

"When can you come back?" The little girl asked quietly.

"Whenever you summon me." Aunt Prue replied and before Piper even asked, she looked to her sister and answered the question that was on the edge of her lips. "If you summon me using the spell, Andy can stay here. It's only if he uses our connection to summon me that he'll go to heaven."

"Right…" Piper stepped forward for a hug, but Aunt Prue moved toward Leo first.

"Bye Leo," She said simply, not having any advice to give to the whitelighter.

"Bye Prue."

"Piper…" As the two eldest sisters shared a hug, Aunt Prue could not hold back her tears any longer. She had saved her farewell with Piper for last because she knew it would be the most difficult goodbye. With her death, Aunt Prue had caused Piper so much pain and although Piper had overcome it, Prue still felt guilty. "I'm sorry." She whispered. "Bye."

"I love you." Piper replied tearfully. "Say hi to mom and Grams."

"I love you too, and… if Grams is speaking to me, I'll say hi!"

The four sisters, as if a director was cuing them, stepped forward towards the circle of candles and joined hands, preparing to say the summoning spell.

"Here these words, here my cry," Paige began.

"Spirit from the other side," The second youngest continued.

"Come to me, I summon thee." Piper whispered, praying that Andy would appear when the spell was finished.

"Cross now the great divide." As Aunt Prue spoke the final word of the spell, a shower of golden light brought the small form of the two-year-old witch whitelighter.

"Oops!" Andy yelled, shrugging his shoulders and shooting his parents an angelic look. He clearly knew how panicked he had made his mother, but the look of accomplishment spread across his smiling face was too cute for Piper to get angry at. "Hi Auntie Plue! Uncoo Andy!"

"Hey little guy." Big Andy replied, speaking for the first time since entering the living room. So this was the boy who had inherited his name? He could not have been more honoured.

"Andrew," Aunt Prue let go of her sisters' hands and knelt next to the circle of candles, "I think it's time for me to go home now."

"Why?" He asked mischievously, certainly enjoying being the centre of attention.

"Because if you don't come back now, you won't get any cake!"

It appeared that Aunt Prue knew just how to convince this boy to come back, because as soon as the word 'cake' left her lips, a blinding white light erupted from Andy's chest. Everyone had to shield their eyes to stop them stinging, but when the light finally dimmed again, Aunt Prue had taken Andy's place in the circle. She smiled sadly, knowing she would have to return to heaven. "Honey, you've got to step into the circle!" She told big Andy, who looked slightly apprehensive, but obeyed Prue's order. "We'll see you guys soon, okay?"

"Bye!" The three oldest cousins replied in unison.

"Blessed be." Aunt Prue said, before shooting big Andy an impatient glare and nudging him in the ribs.

"Oh, uh… Blessed be!" He repeated with a smirk.

"Blessed be." Everyone chorused as the two visitors disappeared.

A melancholy silence lingered over the living room for a few seconds, but was broken by Piper reuniting with her son.

"You promise you will never _ever_ do that to Mommy again, okay?" Piper's face was a wash of relief as Andy kissed her cheek and hugged her.

"Where da cake?" He asked with a sly grin, "…dust kiddin'."

AN- I hope you weren't too confused! Basically what I meant was if Andy summons Prue using their connection, he has to replace her in heaven to keep the balance. However, if someone summons Prue using the summoning spell, Andy can stay on earth because the summoning spell is the natural way to contact the deceased! Yeh, it's a bit far fetched, but the connection is important later! Onyhoo, I'll have to love ya and leave ya! I'm off to London:D

Next chapter, "Attack of the Clones"- Prue and Laura cast a spell resulting in magical chaos in the Manor. The Andersons prepare to move out. Prue wants her dad to be home more often. Paul's true identity is revealed to Laura...or is it?


	19. Attack of the Clones

Howdily doody! Thanks for the reviews! And I did have an awesome time in London! I wish I lived in a city! Lol! I'm posting this early because tomorrow I've got to go to rehearsals and I don't know when they'll be finished!

Phiona- I liked Jason too! (Obviously…lol!) You'll see if you're right about Paul in this chapter! Thanks for the review!

BlueOrbs998- Paul _is_ bad news…_very_ bad news… You'll see what I mean! Lol! And 'awesomeingly' should be a word! I'll petition it to be added to the dictionary! Lol! Thanks for the review:D

Powerof4- Thanks for the review! Both Andyz do rock, don't they!

Money makes me smile- thanks for the review! You'll see if you were right about Paul in this chapter!

Charmed1s-Halliwells- thanks! You made me smile!

Passions- You'll see who Paul is in this chapter! Thanks for the reviews! And I hope you did well in your exams! I have mine coming up in May…not looking forward to them AT ALL!

Prince Halliwell- Paul's identity is revealed in this chapter! Glad you liked 'Melly-Jay's candle quip. Thanks!

Peanut2lb- Glad you liked it! I _had_ to put some sort of remark about Phoebe from Prue in there! And I agree that they cut them out of spite! But then claim it is because Shannen Doherty doesn't want her face shown on charmed! Urgh!

So you don't get confused about the conversation Prue and Piper are having in the beginning of this chapter, Marmite is Prue's kitten. This takes place in August 2007, six months after the last chapter. For once, I actually like something I've written so I hope you enjoy it! Time to find out who Paul really is…

**Chapter19- Attack of the Clones**

Prue ran into the kitchen, avoiding the many cardboard boxes that lined the hallway of the Halliwell Manor and she appeared to be very panicked.

"Mommy!" She yelped loudly, jumping up and down in an agitated manner.

"What sweetie?" Piper replied, her attention turning from the box she had been filling with Mark's cooking appliances, to her daughter.

"I lost Marmite!"

"You lost her? Where was she the last time you saw her?"

"Daddy was giving her breakfast," The girl pointed towards the half eaten dish of cat food before her voice turned sour, "And then the stupid Elder men jingled for him so I gived her some more food and now I can't find her!"

"Are you sure she hasn't gone out to play with the other kittens in the street?" Piper asked hiding her smile as she watched her daughter's concerned nature come through.

"No, she didn't because I asked Auntie Paige and Uncle Mark and they didn't open the door for her and I didn't and you didn't and what if she was gotted by demons?"

"Prue, calm down sweetie. No demons are going to kidnap your cat." Piper tried not to look amused as her daughter's eyebrows shot up.

"What if Auntie Paige packed her in a box?"

"I think she would have noticed Sweetie. Go and ask Laura and if you still can't find her then call for Daddy and get him to sense her, okay?"

"Daddy won't come." The petite witch/whitelighter said with a frown, "He's _always_ workin!"

Piper sighed and forced a smile onto her face. She had always hated the fact Leo was called 'up there' so often, but recently it had seemed as though Leo spent more time with his charges than he did with his own family. She knew it was Leo's job, but Prue was beginning to take her father's frequent absences to heart and it upset her.

"I know he works a lot honey, but you know he'd rather be here with you and Andy."

"Yes…" Prue's frown faded, but her pout remained as she turned and stomped back down the corridor. "Laura!"

Prue found her cousin in their bedroom, packing all of her toys into a large cardboard box. She interrupted Laura's cheerful humming as she made her way to her curly haired cousin's bed.

"Have you seen Marmite?" She asked grumpily, still angry that her father was, once again, up in Elder land.

"Nope, why? Have you losted her?"

"Yes." Prue replied, "I checked every room…a bazillion times!"

"Wow!" Laura looked impressed as she absentmindedly dropped a stuffed bear into the box. "My mommy says that when we gets our new house me and Rachael can get our own cat!"

"I wish you didn't have to move." Prue whispered. Although she was excited about getting a room to herself, the prospect of her best friend moving across town was not one she liked to think about. In three days time, the Andersons would have left the Manor and the following week, Prue was starting school. This, however, she was looking forward to.

"But when I moves, you can come sleep at my house, like we do at MJ's!" Laura could tell her cousin was in a bad mood and she was not making a very successful attempt of cheering Prue up. But suddenly, an idea hit her. Magic always cheered Laura up, so there was a likely chance it would cheer Prue up too. "I got an idea." She announced.

"What?" Prue replied, jumping off the bed.

"We can go to the attic and-"

"Wait!" Prue yelped, interrupting Laura's idea. "I didn't look in the attic for Marmite. Maybe she went up there?"

"Maybe!" Laura gasped. "I'll race ya!"

The two girls rematerialised at the same time in the Halliwell attic, each with a look of mischief on heir face. They knew they weren't meant to be in the attic without one of the adults, but the fact that they were doings something naughty made it more fun. Laura was the first to spot the tabby kitten, curled up behind piles of old novels but when she dashed to pick her up, the cat was startled and fled further back into the mounds of junk.

"Prue, call for her!" Laura announced.

"I can only do it if I can see what I gots to call for!" Prue told her cousin with a scowl. Marmite had gone so far back into the attic that neither cousin could see her any more. "Try to lift this box with me." Each girl grabbed the side of the box, which contained an assortment of odd ornaments and was blocking their path to where the cat had fled, but found it too heavy. "Oh no!"

"Um… How do we get her out? What if she's stuck?" Laura looked up when her cousin did not answer and followed Prue's gaze to the podium in the middle of the attic. Her blue eyes lit up at the sight of the Book of Shadows, and a smile, which matched Prue's, appeared on her face.

"Maybe there's a spell?" Prue suggested.

"But I can't read!"

"I can." Prue smiled, remembering the spell she had cast on herself a year ago to allow her to read the woogy spell. She knew not to bring the incident up with Laura, so did not explain how she could. "Book of shadows!"

The booked appeared in a flurry of white lights and the two little girls sat side by side on the floor, flipping through the many pages.

"What's that word say Prue?" Laura asked as they passed a rather frightening picture.

"Wendigo…" Prue squinted her eyes and cracked a smile; "I think my mommy was one of those once!"

"Cool!"

They continued to turn the pages, passing darklighters, nauctaters, Belthazor and banshees, until a triumphant look settled on the eldest cousin's face. "Look, this one says 'to multiply your strength by three.' Maybe if we do this one then we will be strong enough to move the boxes?"

"Yeah! Help me say it though."

"Okay, hold my hands." They joined hands and stood up, each anticipating the super strength they were about to receive, neither expecting what would actually happen. "Take our powers blessed be, multiply their strength by three!"

The cousins' eyes did not move from each other and for several moments they stood in silence. "Did it work?" Laura asked, and was slightly startled to hear two other voices ask at the same time. She looked to her left and her jaw dropped; she saw another version of herself hugging another Prue, and to her right, she saw the same thing. "Uh oh!" All three Lauras declared.

"Cool!" Exclaimed all three Prues in perfect unison. "Now we can all move the boxes!"

Ten minutes later, one of the Prue clones flipped through the Book of Shadows, trying to find a reversal spell, as one of the Laura's lifted the kitten from behind a dusty old lamp and began climbing back over the obstacle course of junk that led to the other Lauras and Prues.

"Just orb!" The Prue clone, which was not reading the book, yelled.

The Laura with Marmite in her arms looked up shyly, a look the real Laura rarely wore, and frowned. "My Mommy and Daddy says not to use magic for pernosal gain…"

"Stop being such a baby!" The same Prue taunted, before she and one of the other Lauras began to randomly orb about the room, shrieking in laughter as they did so. "And it's _personal_, not pernosal! Stupid…"

"Hey!" The real Laura stood defiantly and glared at her cousin's clone. "Don't be so mean!"

"She was only playing!" The mischievous Laura clone defended. Things in the attic were getting a little confusing.

"Be quiet!" The real Prue shouted, putting the room into an awkward silence. "We have to tell our Mommies."

"Tell Daddy…" The Prue at the book said timidly, "He won't get so mad…"

"But he's never here anyway!" The second Prue clone argued, but something appeared to dawn on her as she began to orb out.

"Wait!" Laura yelled. "Where you going?"

"To get my Daddy back!" The clone's voice lingered in the air and both the real little girls shared a worried glance.

"Uh oh!"

After finally convincing the timid Laura and Prue that it was okay to orb downstairs, the two Prues and three Laura's appeared in their bedroom. The remaining Prue clone immediately began to tidy, whereas the bashful Laura clone sat with the small kitten on her knee in the corner. The mischievous Laura clone looked less than amused at all of the others and frowned.

"This is bowing!" She announced, rolling her eyes. "I want to play owb waces!"

"No!" The real Prue said, taking charge. "Stay here while I go find my Mommy."

"Fine!" The roguish Laura clone yelled, folding her arms and kicking the cardboard box at the foot of the bed. "But you can't stop me saying spells!" A small smile spread across her lips, "I won't ask nicely, I won't ask twice, make this bedwoom full of mice!"

"Don't!" Laura screamed at her clone, but it was too late.

Each of the girls and their clones let out ear piercing screams as white mice filled up the pink carpet and emerged from under both beds. They all, including the Laura who had cast the spell, jumped onto a higher surface, avoiding the rodents, which had begun to roam the floor. The timid Prue burst into tears as the timid Laura struggled to keep Marmite from pouncing at the mice. The mischievous Laura fell back laughing at her own handiwork, whilst the original Laura froze the mice in place. Prue, however, had inherited her mother's dislike of mice and even though they were frozen, continued to scream.

**xxxxx**

Mark made his way quickly up the stairs of the manor, heading to check on what progress Laura had made with packing her stuffed animals. He stopped in his tracks as a chorus of loud screams echoed from his daughter's room. Panic engulfed him, but confusion also filled his mind. Why had he heard so many screams? He ran to the door of the room and pulled the door open aggressively. The sight which met his eyes was certainly not what he had been expecting.

The opening of the bedroom door had broken through the young witch/whitelighter's freeze. Mark was too stunned to move as hoards of mice dashed past his feet and all through the Manor. Piper was not going to be happy. He was even more startled as he watched his niece's cat dash past, in pursuit of one of the mice, with Laura chasing after it, before he turned to see Laura in her bedroom…two Lauras…and two Prues.

"Oh shit!" He exclaimed, before scolding himself for using such language in front of the girls…all four of them. "Pixie?" He asked.

"Yes," Both girls replied. One looked amused, the other worried as to what her father was going to say.

"What did you do?"

"I'm s…s…sorry…" The fearful Prue, still in tears, replied. "We…we was trying to get Marmite back…"

"And then I spelled up some mice!" Laura's excitable clone declared proudly.

"No, before that?"

"Daddy?" The real Laura said. "We casted a spell from the book…"

Mark, intent on listening to his daughter and nieces explanation, forgot about the third Laura who had rushed past him in the door. She had followed Marmite into the foyer, where the kitten was attempting to pounce on one of the mice, which had escaped down the stairs. She was utterly horrified at the prospect of a dead mouse inside so, much like her Auntie Piper did when she was angry with Marmite, she opened the door, picked up the kitten and took it outside. Scared, encase the kitten would run into the house if she placed her down too near the front door, the Laura clone marched to the bottom of the stairs and placed a slightly calmer Marmite onto the grass. As she turned to head back into the house, a cold voice from behind her caught her off guard and, politely, she turned to address Paul McFarland.

"Hello Laura." He sneered. His face showed sheer triumph as he approached the little girl. Although, he was blissfully unaware that she was a clone.

"H…h…hi." The clone replied meekly as fear entered her heart. Her mother and father had told her that she wasn't to go near this man, but she couldn't just walk away because it might hurt his feelings.

"I've just made some cookies, would you like to come into my house and get some?"

"Um…" Two voices battled inside the clone's mind. She knew she shouldn't go, but if she refused, she might upset the man. "I guess…b…but I have to come back soon."

As she cautiously took his hand, a shiver ran down her spine and she began to deeply regret her answer. Paul McFarland could not believe his luck. He was half expecting to have to kidnap the little rugrat, but she had accepted his offer almost straight away. Too content with his own success, he did not realise that the same girl he had just taken into his own house, was stepping out of the Manor to retrieve the kitten.

Back in the Manor, Piper was desperately trying to think of a spell to banish the mice which were running around her home. For the moment, she was too tied up in ridding the Manor of rodents to shout at her daughter.

"I don't like mice, they're not very nice, take them away, don't let them stay!" Although Piper's spell had not been her best work, the mice disappeared from her home, thus enabling her to face her daughter…s.

"Prue, what have I told you about casting spells from the book?"

"I'm sorry Mommy, but Marmite was stuck and we needed to rescue her…"

"That's no excuse to use magic!" Paige scolded from her place at her sister's side, before turning to face what she had established to be Laura's clone, due to her inability to say 'r', which the real Laura had been taught to say. "And you, Little Miss Mischief, should not use spells to conjure mice!"

"Wait a minute…" Piper's angry tone turned to a perplexed one as she mentally counted the girls. "Which spell did you use?"

"The one what said mupitly your strength by three." The real Laura answered.

"Then there should be three of each of you…"

"There was." The Laura clone told her Aunt with a smirk, "But the othew me wan away because she was too scawed of mice and the other Pwue orbed out!"

"Where to?" Piper asked, fearing that if Laura's clone had been able to cast a spell powerful enough to fill the house with mice, that Prue was perfectly capable of exposing magic.

"To…g…get back D…Daddy." Prue's clone replied.

**Xxxxx**

The blinding white light of the place she rematerialised in washed out the brightness of the Prue clone's orbs. She had to blink several times before her eyes became accustomed to her surroundings, but when her vision finally became clear, she wondered how her father could spend so long up here and not get a headache. Everything was white; the mist, the sky, the peculiar looking robes which draped over everyone, and the air was full of odd clicking sounds, which appeared to be the whitelighter's way of communicating.

The clone wondered aimlessly for a few minutes, earning herself a few curious glances, before deciding that the people wearing gold had slightly more authority that the people dressed in white.

"A'scuse me." She said impatiently, tugging on the horrific excuse for clothing. "Is you my Daddy's boss?"

The person, who appeared to be a plump, elderly, African-American man with a fuzzy beard, removed his hood and looked to the little girl, surprised that she had mastered orbing 'up there' at such a young age. There was no doubt that this was Prudence Halliwell-Wyatt, for Leo Wyatt was the only whitelighter with children, and this little girl certainly bore a resemblance to Piper.

"Well, little miss," The elder said smiling, "My name is Zola, and yes, I'm your father's superior. I'm afraid he's with a charge right now."

"He always is." Prue's clone replied angrily. Although the man was being nice to her, she had developed a dislike to all the people who kept her daddy so busy. "That is why I am here."

Zola chuckled. This little girl was lucky she had approached him and not another of the elders, who would most certainly have gotten angry. He had heard of the Halliwell determination, but this girl certainly was not afraid of confrontation. "What would you like to talk about?" He asked, taking her hand, "I'm sure your mommy's worried about you."

"Nope, she's got the other mes!"

"Right…"

"Well, I came to ask if my Daddy could come home yet?" Her voice showed determination, but the melancholy edge melted Zola's heart. (AN- yes, the elders have hearts! **Gasp** I thought Zola seemed like a nice elder… lol)

"I'm afraid he's got to look after his charges." He told her, feeling a sudden burst of guilt.

"But I'm his charge too!" Prue exclaimed and a tear, which she quickly brushed away, fell from he corner of her glistening eyes. "Why come he never looks after me? Or my brother! Or my Mommy?"

"Well…I…" Zola did not know how to respond, or how to deal with a crying little girl. But his mind could not move from what she had said. Perhaps Leo Wyatt did have too many charges. "I'll see what I can do…"

**xxxxx**

The timid Laura clone found herself in a dark and dreary room. The faded green wallpaper was flaking off the damp walls and the foul stench of rotting flesh caused the small clone's stomach to churn. She was perched on the end of a hard, brown, rotting sofa and, as she slowly sipped the cup of water she had been given, she glued her blue eyes to a blackened spot on the already dirty carpet. Paul McFarland approached her and she arched her back, tensing all of her muscles as fear engulfed her.

"Whatever is the matter?" He asked, bringing his face so close to the Laura clone's that the stench of his breath caused her eyes to water. The clone gasped and her urge to vomit grew when she saw what the man had been hiding behind his dark glasses; his one eye almost glowed yellow and where the second eye should have been there resided a huge, disfiguring scar, which looked as though someone had gouged Paul McFarland's eye out with a knife…or even an athame.

"I…um…I have to go find m…my Mommy…" Laura's timid clone eventually choked out, her voice trembling as much as her body.

"Oh, but I'm afraid you're not going anywhere…_Pixie_."

"W…why not?" Tears began to trickle down her face as the clone tried with all her might to orb out, but failed. She watched in horror as Paul stepped backwards, giving her a malicious grin as his body began to change form and his skin began to blacken.

"Because you walked straight into my trap." He growled. His voice was now deep and grizzly, but he was no longer Paul McFarland…he was Decron. "And by killing you, I'll cause your parents so much pain that they'll never even consider a third child, thus enabling me to live _forever_!" As a huge fireball formed in Decron's large, charcoal black hand, the timid clone let out a blood-curdling scream; the last sound Laura's clone would ever make.

**Xxxxx**

Paige watched over the two original little girls, Andy and Rachael in the kitchen and Piper kept her eyes on the clones in the living room, whilst Mark searched the Manor for the missing clones with little success. Paige began to prepare lunch for her family, allowing Laura and Prue to entertain their younger siblings and although she was still not pleased about them using magic, she couldn't help but smile.

"If you're happy and you know it…touch your nose!" Laura sang loudly.

"Tut yo nose!" Rachael repeated, banging her fists on the tray of her highchair excitably.

"If your happy and you know it tou-" Laura's happy singing cut off as she fell to the floor.

At her eldest daughter's sudden scream of pain, Paige dropped the tray of sandwiches, which she had been carrying, onto the counter with a loud bang. She turned to find Laura curled up on the floor with a look of excruciating pain on her normally happy face. Laura's tears fell freely as she clutched her stomach, as if she had been shot.

"Pixie?" Paige gasped, "What happened? …Mark! Piper!"

"Ow…" was all the defenceless little girl could choke out between sobs, "It's burnin',"

"What is? Please tell Mommy what's wrong… Prue, what happened?"

"I don't know…I'll go get Uncle Mark."

"Make it stop!" Laura screamed, breaking Paige's heart.

From what Paige could see, Laura was perfectly fine, and when her daughter's pained expression faded, she was even more confused.

"It…it's gone." Laura whispered. Although relief washed over the little girl, Laura still looked very scared. She lunged forward into her mother's arms and did not pull out of the hug until Mark and Piper entered.

"What happened?" Mark asked, kneeling next to his wife.

"I don't know," Paige replied wearily. "She just started screaming and saying it hurt…then it stopped."

"Oh no." Piper exclaimed, her mind flashing back to when Prue had cloned herself all those years ago. She had felt immense pain…but only when her clone had been killed. "Have you found the third clones yet?"

"No, why?"

"Just get the scrying tools out- now!"

**xxxxx**

Decron bore all of his sharp, rotted teeth in a satisfied grin as he kicked the pile of dust, which he had turned Laura's clone into, still unaware that she had been a clone and not the real girl. His plan was falling into place perfectly. Now that Laura was dead, he knew the Andersons would not want another baby. They would set their hearts on protecting Rachael; too scared that another child would meet the same untimely demise as Laura. As long as the third child was never conceived, Decron could never be vanquished and he could take his rightful place as the Source of all evil.

"Seer." He hissed, summoning his loyal servant.

"Yes master." The slender blonde replied, appearing in an arch of flames. Her face looked as though it may have been pretty once, but a number of horrific scars concealed her attractive facial structure. As she made her way towards the ominous demon, her crimson cloak trailed on the floor, sweeping the remaining ashes of Laura's clone. "You called?"

"I've succeeded in killing the eldest child." He told her smugly, but as he approached her, his looming posture appeared to threaten the seer. "Is the future of the third child finished?"

The seer's shocking green eyes lolled back into her head and concentration spread across her scarred face. When she pulled out of her vision, she glanced apprehensively at her master. "I see that the coming of the New Year will bring the conceiving of the third child, and with it… your demise."

"_What_?" Decron roared, striking the seer across the face as his body filled with wild rage. "How is that possible?" His loud voice was enough to make the structure of the house tremble, and with it, the seer.

"The child they call 'Pixie' is not dead." She told him and despite the fact she had a calm facade, it was clear she was petrified of the demon in front of her. "…The one which you killed was only a clone…"

Decron knew it would only be a matter of time before the Andersons found him out. He did not want that to happen. For his plan to come into play, they needed to think he was a mortal, but as he looked to The Seer, who was still pacing the room, the workings of another plan entered his mind. "Seer," He growled.

"Yes." She replied attentively.

"I need your assistance."

**xxxxx**

In the attic of the Halliwell Manor, Paige, Mark and Piper stood over the table with a map of San Francisco and a scrying crystal. Paige had already orbed Rachael and Andy to Darryl's and cast a spell upon the crystal so that it would scry for the timid clone and not the remaining two Lauras. Piper jumped in shock at how quickly the crystal landed, but was even more surprised to discover that it had landed firmly on Prescott Street.

"Paige, maybe your spell didn't work?" She asked, but found her sister on her way out of the attic door. "Where are you going?"

"Isn't it obvious? That creep across the street!" Paige exclaimed as if it had been as clear as day. "Come on!"

"Wait, what if you're making a mistake?" Piper's question was ignored as both of the Andersons dashed down the stairs. She looked to the four girls in the corner and fixed an authorative look on her face. "Don't go _anywhere_."

**xxxxx**

The very determined Prue clone sat cross-legged on the floor of Elder Land (AN- Does that sound like an amusement park to anyone else?), surrounded by white mist, waiting impatiently for one of the elders to find her. The incessant clicking of whitelighters and elders alike was driving her insane, but she was not going to move until somebody told her that her daddy could come home. After what seemed like hours, Prue's clone was greeted by a familiar voice.

"Prudence!" Leo sounded shocked, angry and happy all at the same time as he picked Prue's clone off the floor and hugged her.

"Daddy!" The clone, unsure of Leo's mood, decided that she would not explain had led to her father being called to a meeting in front of all the elders, but instead hope that he was happy. "I'm sorry." She blurted. One of the disadvantages of being a clone was that she could not stop herself from speaking what she was thinking.

"What for?" Leo asked, raising his eyebrow. In all his time as a whitelighter he had never been able to convince the elders to give him more time with his family, but apparently Prue had succeeded in doing so. "Daddy's coming home!"

"You are?" She questioned excitedly, pride swelling within her, "I telled them elders good! Didn't I?"

"You sure did!" Leo, noticing that Prue looked slightly light headed, prepared to orb back to earth, but a friendly voice stopped him.

"Leo," Zola said, approaching father and daughter, "It's been great having you in our service for so long."

"I've still got charges." Leo reminded his long time friend.

"Yes, but only a small amount, and it's unlikely that you'll be here nearly so much in the future."

"Well at least I get to spend more time with Piper and the kids now." Although Leo was over the moon about the prospect of spending time with his family, leaving behind the hectic lifestyle of being one of the whitelighters with the most charges was quite upsetting. "I guess I'll see you next time you call."

"Goodbye Leo." Zola said, "And make sure you look after that little girl. She's quite the little Halliwell."

"Tell me about it." Leo's laugh lingered in the air as he and Prue's clone disappeared in a cloud of orbs. He still did not know that the Prue in his arms was a clone.

**xxxxx**

The Andersons arrived more quickly than Decron had anticipated, but perhaps the fact they had come at that precise moment was going to work to his advantage. He heard them burst through his door, and smirked at the ropes which the seer had already tied around his wrists. As he quickly resumed his form of Paul McFarland he nodded to the seer and she shot him a sly smile in return, before carefully aiming an energy ball into his chest. She could foresee her own death, but had waited her entire antagonising life to cause pain to the fellow demon that had put her through so much torture.

"H…help!" Paul called and as Paige, Mark and Piper burst into the room, his sneer turned to a very convincing look of fear.

"_What the hell?_" Paige exclaimed as she saw the crumpled form of the man she had been so convinced was evil.

"What the hell is happening?" Paul whimpered, forcing back a grin with all of his might as he watched Paige discover she had been 'wrong'.

"We'll explain later!" Piper told him, turning her attention to the seer, who was enjoying her last minutes of life a little too much. "Who are you?" She enquired.

"Somebody who has ultimately had a hand in your downfall." She replied. "I did kill your daughter after all."

"Afraid not, BITCH!" Mark could no longer contain his rage at the fact this she-demon could kill an innocent child, especially his little Pixie, and feel no remorse whatsoever. His fingers began to emit small sparks of electricity and before he could stop himself, his nauctater genes brought about a huge adrenaline rush and lightning forks shot towards the demoness, ending her pitiful life in a fiery vanquish.

"What the hell are you people?" Paul gasped. It was unfortunate that his seer had been forced to have such a painful death, but he no longer needed her. She had told him when the third child would be conceived and that was all the information he would need to prevent his birth.

"Um…Leo!" Piper looked skyward and prepared to shout again, but her husband materialised next to her.

"What the heck is going on at the Manor?" He asked, having just discovered the group of clones in the attic, but his attention quickly turned to the scrawny man in the corner. "What happened?"

"I have _no_ idea!" Paige replied. After being so convinced that this man was evil, it was hard to grasp that he was, in fact, their innocent. "What _did_ happen?"

"That woman- whatever she was- attacked me! She said something about needing a good view of the witches…oh god! Are you witches?" Paul replied, pushing his glasses up his nose. "And then she came back with the little girl and she…she killed her!"

"He's bleeding." Piper told her husband with genuine concern in her voice. She was falling for Paul's performance hook line and sinker.

Leo moved forward to heal the 'innocent', but Paige and Mark were still not convinced. As much as they would have liked to believe his story, something was telling them that Paul McFarland was still untrustworthy. "If he heals, he's good." Paige whispered to the nauctater miserably. On some level she did not want him to heal, but it appeared that Leo's miracle hands were, indeed, healing him.

Paul winced as the healing power came into contact with his skin. It was so full of good. He knew the wound was not going to heal properly, but he hoped he was suppressing his demonic side enough for the moment for it only to leave a small scar.

"Thank you." He said, pushing his shirt over the scar before Leo could take a proper look. "Now please tell me what the hell just happened?"

"Well, you see-" Before Piper could explain the situation with her well practiced 'what we tell innocents' speech, Leo cut her off with a wave of his hand, throwing a glowing powder over the man. "Oh! Um…let the object of objection become but a dream as I cause the scene to be unseen." Piper quickly blurted the spell before Paul could come out of his dazed state.

"You're going to go to bed and when you wake up in the morning, you will have been in bed sick all day today. Got that?" Leo said, putting the memory dust into effect.

"Yes…" Paul wondered aimlessly through his house, only just managing to contain his smile until he reached the living room door. Memory dust? That whitelighter was a foul source of good if ever there was one! But maybe now, the Halliwells would trust him enough to allow him near the kids. He would prevent the existence of the third child. And now it was going to be even easier than before.

"Why did you dust him?" Piper asked as the foursome exited the grotty house. It was very rare that a whitelighter would use memory dust, especially on an innocent.

"Just because he's an innocent," Leo started, but Paige finished his sentence with a snarl, clearly very angry.

"It doesn't mean we have to trust him." And with that she stalked across the road, avoiding Mark's eyes, still convinced that Paul was not who he claimed to be.

**Xxxxx**

Back in the Manor, Leo, Piper, Paige and Mark discovered that only the two original girls remained. Paige and Mark were still very disheartened that Paul had turned out to be good and on some level, they still did not trust him. They took Laura and went, as a family, to retrieve Rachael from her Uncle Darryl's, deciding that they needed to have some well-earned family time alone. Although they were incredibly happy that Laura was safe, something the demoness had said was playing in both of their minds: '_Somebody who has ultimately had a hand in your downfall'. _Neither wanted to decipher what she had meant just yet, waiting until they returned home to look in the Book of Shadows. The coming week was going to be hectic with moving across town and they needed five minutes peace. As the Andersons sat together, watching the ducks swim across the pond in Golden Gate Park, all they wanted to do was enjoy each other's company. What they did not know, however, was that the demoness' words had had some truth behind them.

**Xxxxx**

After Leo had collected Andy from Darryl's the Halliwell-Wyatts had sat down for dinner in the Manor and explained exactly what had happened during the day to Leo, who was still a little bemused by it all. Leo had also explained to Piper about what Prue's clone had done 'up there' and the eldest charmed one's anger towards her daughter for casting a spell had been suddenly quashed. Now that Leo's list of charges had been shortened, they too could have some well needed family time. Something that Piper had been looking forward to for a long time.

AN- IMHO this chapter was one of the best so far, so please be nice in your reviews! Lol! Also because I need some confidence- I've got to sing, by myself, in front of two-hundred people on Wednesday evening:S So now we all know what happened to Decron…although I'm pretty sure you all worked out he was Paul a while ago! And I know that chapter had a lack of Phoebe (not that it's a bad thing…) but she'll be back for the next chapter! (**cough**Unfortunately**cough) **It won't be long until the whole Decron and the 'Third Child' thing is explained properly, I promise! And for now, I will leave you with the wisest words ever sung: "I am the egg man. They are the egg men. I am the walrus. Cuckoo Cachou Cucuckoo Cachou." (I think The Beatles shared my mindset! Lol!)

Next chapter, 'Crappy Halloween'- When the Halliwell-Wyatts agreed to go to this Halloween Party, they should probably have picked their costumes a little more carefully! And Cole and Jason don't appear to get on…at all.


	20. Crappy Halloween

Yo! I'm in a very good mood today! Your reviews were simply spectacular! Thanks so much!

Prince Halliwell- Don't worry, Melly-Jay is in this chapter! I love seers too! But I always really liked the one who helped Cole! She was just pure evil. I loved the ominous feel she gave the show! Lol! And yeah, Paul got away with it. He's a smart guy! Lol! Thanks for the review!

Passions- No, I'm not shy! Lol! Thanks for the review! When you said your hair would turn grey I had this weird image of Barbus attacking a witch! Lol!

.elementbabe- Thanks for the review! It's always nice to get new reviewers! And I'm also glad you like Mark! I'm so proud of that character!

Money makes me smile- I have to wait until next week to watch the 150 episode! Unfair! Lol! Thanks for the review!

BlueOrbs998- **does happy dance** Thanks! Your reviews always rock! You actually won't have to wait too long to find out all about the third child. (Chapter 22 or 23) I'm glad you like my fic so much:D **grins inanely**

Cutleryismyfriend- Thanks for the review! I'm angry at your Microsoft word too! Lol! Hope you get the chapter finished soon, I'll send my army of flying monkeys to help!

Powerof4- I sing jazz music and we speak English in Scotland! Lol! Just a different dialect in some places! You oppose Paige having a boy? If she doesn't have a boy then who will carry the Nauctater gene from Mark? I promise you won't be disappointed with the character! Lol!

Phiona- Not many people seem to be bothered by the lack of Phoebe! …I wonder why? **Note sarcasm** Lol! Thanks for the review!

Jenna Sabina- Two and half hours? Dude! I'm glad I cold keep your attention for that long! Lol! Thanks for the review!

Peanut2lb- Thanks for the review! Yes, another boy is going to join the mix. Everyone finally picked up on my hints! Lol!

Charmed1s-Halliwells- Thanks for the review!

Kendallpaigecharity- Thanks for the review!

Silver-Star-0- Thanks for the review! I think this fic will last up to chapter 27, but that's only a guess. In the series I'm planning four stories, but there may be five. And you are about to learn a lesson: (Teehee) Never ask Laur why she doesn't like Phoebe! I'll give you the cliff-notes version because if I don't my rant will be as long as the fic! The whole of season4 was dedicated to her, as was most of season5 and I was quite frankly sick of her baby voice and naivety by the end of Season3! Lol!

I've divided this chapter into two parts because it was really long by the time I'd finished and also because I don't know if I'll have time during the week to write my next chapter. It's basically just a fun chapter before some really dark material! The first part is mainly fluff, but the next is a little more dramatic. I've had so much fun writing it! Lol! There are a few references to 'The Wizard of Oz' so if you haven't seen it you might not pick up on them, but I'm sure you'll understand anyway! Enjoy… my pretties!

**Chapter20-Crappy Halloween**

Twas the night before Halloween and all through the house, not a creature was stirring… except of course the cloaked demon, which was slowly making his way through all of the bedrooms in the Halliwell Manor. The demon, know as Chimerak, removed a clawed hand from his pocket, hidden on the inside of his deep violet cloak, and ran a blood red talon across his pale, and skeletal cheekbone in contemplation. A small smirk twitched at his lean, barely visible lips as he waved his other hand over the top of the small cowboy outfit, which was laid neatly over the back of a little boy's bedroom chair. It had almost been a surprise to Chimerak that such a well-respected Wiccan family as the Halliwell-Wyatts had bought into the tradition of ludicrous costumes and artificial paranormal publicity. However, the ridiculous costumes he had discovered in each of the bedrooms were definitely going to make the following evening fun, and the Halliwell-Wyatts would regret even considering wearing the foolish outfits. He finished his short chant, which he had said in a foreign tongue, and took a look at the outfit he had just cursed. Of all the Halliwell-Wyatts' costumes, this would be the most fun. He drifted off into thought of what damage he was going to have caused the next night and silently shimmered out, leaving only his putrid scent behind him. If all went according to plan, the Nexus would be his.

Lying in his small bed, buried in his 'Power Rangers' bed covers, Andy let out a small whimper. A very bad feeling in the pit of his stomach had suddenly disturbed his restful sleep, almost as if an evil presence was lurking in his bedroom. "Hello?" He mumbled, removing his thumb from his mouth and fishing around for his stuffed bear. As soon as the sandy coloured toy was in his grasp, he felt slightly more protected, but still peeked out from under his covers to double check. The light shining from the streetlights outside was casting shadows, of all shapes and forms, across his bedroom and the two and a half year old did not like it. His green eyes brimmed with scared tears and he slid quickly out of bed. He clutched 'Mr Curly' tightly in his right hand, whilst he placed his left thumb back into his mouth and made a quick dash across his darkened bedroom, trying to ignore the putrid stench that lingered in the air beside his chair. He pulled the door open and, as fast as his little legs could carry him, toddled towards his sister's bedroom. If anyone could protect him, Prue could.

Prue sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes so that she could make out who had just opened her bedroom door. She still half expected to see Laura returning from the bathroom, but when she saw her little brother, she quickly remembered the Andersons had moved months ago. Her sadness towards missing her best friend was soon quashed when she saw the worried expression spread on Andy's face and she shot out of bed towards him, screwing up her face when she smelled the horrible reek loitering beside her wardrobe.

"Whatsa matter?" She whispered, placing her hands protectively on her little brother's shoulders and raising an enquiring eyebrow.

"I'm aflaid…" He replied, feeling slightly better now that Prue was with him. As she pulled him into a hug, his tensed muscles relaxed, but his heart was still pumping vigorously.

"What of?" Prue asked, deeply concerned for her brother.

"Monstas." Andy told her timidly, "…and demons…"

"Okay," Prue began to wonder if her brother had been having a nightmare, but being the protective big sister that she was, led him to her bed and smiled. "I'll keep you safe." She said, climbing in next to him and not resting her head on the pillow until he was fast asleep. "Night night Andy."

**xxxxx**

Piper awoke early the next morning to find Leo's gorgeous green eyes gazing at her. He had a distant smile on his face and when he realised she had awoken, it grew even wider. The night of passion they had shared had been wonderful, but as Piper moved forward to draw her husband into another passionate kiss, she quickly jerked her head back in disgust.

"What the heck is that smell?" She asked, bringing a hand to her face.

"I don't know." Leo replied, slightly disappointed that Piper had pulled away from the morning kiss he had been so looking forward to. "I'll check the plumbing in a sec."

Even as he stepped out of bed, his eyes kept fixed firmly on Piper. She was so mesmerisingly beautiful, even at eight o'clock in the morning. He backed out of the room, trying his hardest to disregard the rancid smell hanging beside the cupboard. It was foul, but appeared to disappear as he entered the hallway. He decided to go and check on the kids before making his way downstairs, just encase the smell was the result of a spell gone awry. He opened the door to Andy's bedroom and rolled his eyes at the mass of toys littering the floor, but as his eyes drifted towards the bed, he was hit with a sudden panic. Andy was not there.

"Not again…" Leo grumbled, shaking his head. He decided not to get too worried until he was certain Andy was nowhere to be found and made a quick dash to Prue's room. The pink and yellow room was neat and tidy compared to the green one next door. Prue had definitely inherited her mother's cleaning obsession. A grin spread across his face as he looked to the bed. Andy and Prue were sleeping soundly under the 'Care Bears' bed cover. Leo suddenly wished he had a camera.

**xxxxx**

Phoebe awoke to the sound of her whimpering daughter, but as she sleepily sat up, preparing to get up and comfort Charlotte, she saw Jason had beaten her to it. A smile twitched in the corners of her lips as she watched her husband shuffle up and down the room with a skip in his step. Charlotte soon calmed down and was giggling at her father's inane babble, occasionally inputting her own bout of random noises.

"Morning." Phoebe yawned, taking a sideways glance at the clock. How could her husband be so perky at eight o'clock in the morning?

"Good Morning," Jason said, noticing his wife was awake and turning to the ten-month-old baby in his arms. "Mommy sure has been a sleepy head, hasn't she Charlie?" Charlotte mimicked Jason's enthusiastic nods and clapped her hands as she was placed next to her mother in bed. "I'll go wake MJ." Jason told his wife as he slipped from the room. "Oh, and Happy Halloween honey!"

"Happy Halloween." Phoebe placed her nose close to her youngest daughter's and a grin formed on both of their faces. Phoebe knew Jason only remembered the fact it was Halloween because she had roped him into throwing a party, but the fact he had shown some sign of knowing the significance of a Wiccan holiday was enough for her. Halloweens rarely went according to plan in the Halliwell family, but the middle charmed one was looking forward to the evening that was to come, completely unaware of Chimerak's plan.

"Mommy!" Came an excited shout from the doorway as MJ burst into the room. Her tousled black hair bounced up and down as she skipped towards the bed and when the three-year-old discovered she was still too small to climb onto her mother's bed, she shimmered up with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Happy Hawoleen!"

"It's Halloween sweetie, and a happy one to you to! But don't use your powers."

"Otay…" Even at three years old, MJ had perfected her Aunt Paige's eye rolling technique. "Can I put on da costume yet?"

"Not yet," Phoebe told her daughter with a smile. "Wait until the party, okay?"

**xxxxx**

Mark ruffled Rachael's ginger locks as he poured the milk onto her rice crispies and he smiled. His daughters had finally found something better than pancakes to eat for breakfast. As usual, Paige was the last of the small San Francisco apartment's residents to awaken, but the nauctater could hear her plodding down the corridor, which meant the coffee he had been brewing, was soon going to be needed. Laura took a gulp of her orange juice and gave her father a sly grin.

"Mommy needs coffee!" She announced as Paige entered the room.

"Pixie?" Paige said, shuffling across to the table, trying her hardest not to smile at Laura's comment, "When you grow up big like Mommy, you'll need caffeine too, okay?"

"No! Coffee is yucky!" The look of disgust on the small girl's face brought a smile to her parents'. "Ain't it Rachy?"

"Yeh!" Rachael agreed fervently, "Yuk a duck luck puck!"

"Some of the things they come out with…" Mark mused, handing a steaming mug to his wife and kissing her forehead gently. "They must get it from your side of the family,"

Paige ignored Mark's remark, bringing the mug close to her face and savouring the smell of the dark liquid. Just the fragrance was enough to make her senses come to life. "I'm damn proud of it!" She eventually replied, truthfully. Her daughters' random comments always made her smile.

"Mummy?" Rachael said, looking up from her cereal. "We go to da pawty today?"

"Yes," Paige replied, realising, for the first time that day, that it was Halloween. "Happy Halloween."

"You too, Sweetheart." Mark took a seat at the table and ginned, looking at whom, in his opinion, were the three most beautiful females on god's earth. Laura was standing on her chair, trying to reach across the table to the fruit bowl, Rachael's attention had turned back to her rice crispies, which she was now eating, spilling more on the table than into her mouth, and Paige was wearing a grin identical to his. He was definitely looking forward to the day ahead, as he looked forward to every day with his family.

**xxxxx**

The day past quickly in the Dean manse and by the time evening rolled into sight, the house looked spectacular. Phoebe and Jason had decorated each room with an assortment of orange and black balloons, skeleton figurines and, of course, broomsticks. Phoebe had decided to overlook the fact that she was stereotyping by reminding herself that it had, in fact, been she who started the 'flying broomstick' tradition in the first place.

Jason, whose stylish, white sailor costume gave him an odd resemblance to Richard Gere in 'An officer and a gentleman', waited in the living room for the guests to arrive. He kept a watchful eye on Charlotte, who sat in her tiny cat costume, playing with her stuffed mouse, and MJ, who, dressed as a ballerina, was dancing around the room on her tiptoes. He was eagerly awaiting his wife, who was upstairs getting dressed.

Jason needn't have waited any longer. As he turned to face the stairs, his face lit up and it dawned on him just how beautiful his wife was. The long, red dress hugged her figure in all the right places and her dark hair, in tight curls, accentuated the frame of her face perfectly. She had fastened a cloak around her neck, but it hung loosely down her back, and the basket of wax fruits in her hand were not worth mentioning when you looked at the rest of her costume. Only Phoebe could turn a 'Little Red Riding Hood' outfit into a seductive dress and high heels- not that Jason was complaining.

"You look amazing." He said, gawping open mouthed as his wife made her way down the stairs.

"Thank you." She beamed. "So do you."

"Me too Mommy!" MJ squealed, bounding from the room and giving her mother a twirl. "And Tarlie!"

"Where _is_ Charlie?" Phoebe asked, not best pleased that her baby had been left alone in the living room.

"Don't worry, she's in there!" Jason replied, shaking his head. Phoebe really was paranoid, more so than usual. She had tried to explain about how Halloween was a powerful night for magic, but most of it had gone over his head. He began to walk into the living room, following his wife, but the ringing of the doorbell distracted him. He hoped it was guests and not trick or treaters because if MJ saw other children in costumes, being the social butterfly that she was turning into, she would undoubtedly want to invite them in. "Hi!" He greeted with a smile, before realising who he had just answered the door to.

"Daddy!" MJ yelled skipping towards the door excitedly. Cole scooped her into his arms and entered the house, closely followed by Danielle and Ben. "You looks like Petey Pan!"

"And you look like a ballerina!" Cole replied, kissing the top of his daughter's head. He was dressed from head to toe in green, his belt covered in felt leaves and his hat with one single owl feather. (AN- don't ask why, but the thought of Cole dressed as Peter Pan amused me!) "And what a beautiful ballerina you are too!"

"Tank you!" She said, blushing as she tried to hide her grin. "Hi Benji! Hi Danni!"

"Hello Melinda-Jayne." Danielle replied with a smile, removing her coat to reveal a very extravagant and brightly coloured, ankle length dress. It was clear from this, and the various beads adorned on the petite Hispanic woman, along with the flower painted on her cheek, that she was dressed as a hippy. Although the dress had no shape, Danielle pulled off the outfit, looking stunning s always.

"Lindy-Jay!" Ben squealed, stretching his chubby hands towards his big sister. He was dressed in an all white suite, which made his tanned complexion even more noticeable. Tiny, feathered wings were glued to the back, showing clearly that he was supposed to be an angel; ironic that he was, in fact, part demon.

"Jason," Cole greeted, his voice flat and toneless and his eyes drifting around the floor. There was definitely no love between these two men.

"Cole." Jason replied in the same droll tone. "Nice outfit."

"You too." He turned his attention back to MJ and the awkward silence became very uncomfortable.

Fortunately, Phoebe was close at hand to break it. "Hi you guys! I _love_ your costumes!" She exclaimed, emerging from the living room with Charlotte.

"Yours too!" Danielle replied, breathing a sigh of relief as the tension lifted. "Little Red Riding Hood…with a difference! I like it!"

"Thanks! You're a hippy, right?" The women shared a smile. Despite their husbands' obvious dislike towards each other, they had become quite good friends through MJ. "Come in to the living room!" Phoebe offered and the Turners, along with MJ obliged, leaving Phoebe to glare at Jason.

"What?" He asked, throwing up his hands and raising his eyebrows.

"You don't need to be so rude!" She snapped, but it was hard to get angry at someone who looked so handsome, "Just please try to get on?"

"I'll try." He replied, pecking her cheek and ruffling Charlotte's hair before entering the living room.

Soon, the Andersons had joined the party, their costumes just as remarkable as everyone else's. Paige had dressed as a nineteen-forties 'femme fatal', in a blue, off the shoulder, knee length dress, her hair in curls, pinned pack from her face with a clip matching her dress. She looked as though she could have stepped through a time portal from World War two. Mark had dresses in an all black suit, which, accompanied with the long, black cloak, collar upturned to reveal the red, silk lining, gave his Dracula outfit a very authentic look. He had slicked his long curls back with hair gel and wore plastic fangs, which he had to remove every time he wanted to speak. Rachael's red hair was in two braids, and she wore a frayed, brown dress, which had pictures of the sun and moon stitched on the bottom left corner. The red and yellow face paints, which she had painted in the style of tribal war markings on her cheeks, made it clear she was dressed as a Red Indian. Laura, as she did every Halloween, had dressed as a pixie. She wore a lime green dress, which was adorned with pink and purple sequins, matching her purple tights. Fastened to the back of the dress was a pair of very authentic wings, which seemed to suit the little witch/whitelighter more than they should have. Laura had become so associated with the name 'Pixie' that seeing her dressed up as one made perfect sense. However, it was not Laura, who would become a little more than attached to her costume tonight.

Phoebe handed Paige a glass of fruit punch and glanced at her watch with a concerned frown. The Halliwell-Wyatts should have arrived fifteen minutes ago and it was very unlike Piper to be late for anything. Paige noticed her sister's curious expression and raised an enquiring eyebrow.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I was just wondering where Piper was… It's not like her to be late."

"You're paranoid." Paige replied with the roll of her eyes as she took a sip of her punch, unaware that Phoebe had a very good reason to be paranoid.

**Xxxxx**

"Hurry up Mommy!" Prue yelled loudly from the bottom of the stairs, slipping her feet into the 'ruby slippers', which completed her 'Dorothy' outfit. She wore her hair in pigtails and her blue and white checked dress bounced as she began to skip impatiently round in circles. She brushed off the dizzy spell that swept over her, but stopped skipping and grabbed the banister to steady herself. She had the sudden urge to burst into song, but ignored it as her father entered.

Leo straightened his pirate hat and plunged his cardboard sword into the hoister of his brown leather belt, as he walked towards the front door. The eye-patch covering his right eye was beginning to irritate him, but he felt that he wouldn't look the part without it. He glanced at Prue with a smile and placed a finger under her chin, forcing her head up so that their eyes met. "Pretty little lass, aren't yeh?" He growled, in a strangely English sounding accent, before shaking his head and blinking several times in bewilderment. "Where the heck did that come from?" He asked himself curiously, ignoring his sudden desire to go to the dockyards. "Sweetie, where's Andy?"

"Dunno." She replied with a shrug, turning to the stairs, "Hurry up Mommy!"

As Piper appeared at the top of the stairs, Leo's jaw dropped. She wore a tight black dress, revealing just the right amount of flesh and showing her voluptuous figure flawlessly. Of course, the large black cloak and a conical hat that waited for her at the bottom of the stairs would cover most of her dress, but Leo was not going to complain. Piper looked beautiful whatever she wore.

"You look great," He told her, forgetting all about the odd feeling, which had just washed over him.

"I believe Phoebe once called it embracing the cliché!" Piper quipped, pulling the black cloak around her shoulders and grabbing the broomstick from the floor.

"Didja get da hat?" Andy asked, his voice muffled by the red scarf he had pulled over his nose and mouth. He was standing behind his father, dressed in blue jeans, a red and yellow shirt and a brown, suede waistcoat. His belt held a plastic gun, which Piper had sewn in place to prevent violence and the red scarf that he had just pulled down from his face completed his outfit. The only thing missing was the cowboy hat, which Piper held in her hand.

"Sure did!" Piper replied, picking up her own hat as she tossed Andy his. "Are we ready? Phoebe is going to kill us! We're so late!" She pulled the pointed black hat onto her head after throwing her long, dark, glossy locks over her shoulder, but as she gave everyone a happy grin, she felt herself stumbling forwards. "Woah, head rush!"

"Can we go yet?" Prue asked, taking a step forward, and although she did not realise it, avoiding Piper's gaze.

"Well, well, my pretty, you are a persistent one." Piper sneered, but she snapped out of her daze before she could start cackling, brushing it off as high blood sugar from all the candy she had eaten. "Orb away honey!"

Piper clutched Andy's hand whilst Prue and Leo stood on their own, preparing to orb to the Dean home. They waited for a moment, expecting blue and white lights to engulf them, but did not even get a hint of the tingling sensation orbing usually brought with it.

"Okay, that's weird." Piper said, taking a step backwards, "Maybe it's something to do with Halloween?"

"Probably," Leo replied, "Try calling Paige, see if her orbing is down too."

"Paige!" Piper shouted skyward, not expecting a reply. However, she was startled to find both of her sisters rematerialise behind her.

"What's wrong?" Phoebe asked, glancing around, her concerned expression turning to confusion.

"We can't orb." Prue told her Aunts, edging further still from her mother. "I likes your dresses!" She told them with a smile.

"Well I like yours too!" Phoebe told her, "You all look great!"

"None of you can orb?" Paige asked inquisitively.

"Nope," Leo confirmed, trying and failing once more. "Can you give us a lift to your house? We can figure this out there."

"Honey, don't you think we should stay here and figure it out now? What if it's serious?"

"I wants to go to the party!" Prue whined, glaring at her mother, "You're a wicked old witch!"

"Sweetie," Paige said, addressing her niece and cutting off Piper's retaliation. "I think you're getting a little _too_ into character there!"

Prue's lower lip stuck in a firm pout and she folded her arms across her chest looking to her mother. Piper could see the hope shining in the little girl's eyes and even with her sudden urge to be wicked, could not say no to 'the eyes'. Why did Phoebe have to teach the kids to do that?

"Okay," She finally agreed, "We'll go to the party."

"Yee ha!" Exclaimed Andy, taking his cowboy persona a little to far. However, nobody seemed to notice.

When the large group appeared in the dining room of Phoebe's home, they all tuned their attention to Danielle, who gave a startled scream and toppled off the chair she had been sitting on. She knew of the powers the Halliwells and their families possessed, and was even used to MJ shimmering, but every time she saw someone orb she would be a little unsettled. Phoebe rushed to her side and gave a quick apology, before turning back to the people she had just arrived with.

"Come and play!" MJ exclaimed, bursting through the door excitedly.

"Prue, Andy, the rest of the kids are in the living room." Phoebe said with a smile. They just looked so cute in their little costumes…

"Living room?" Prue asked, her eyes flashing white only for a brief moment. "I can't go to the living room! I need to get back to Kansas!"

"Kansas? Prue are you okay?" Paige asked, not only worried about what her niece had said, but also about why Piper and Leo didn't seem to care.

"Prue? Who's she? I'm Dorothy Gayle! And this is Oz! That witch has been casting spells again!"

"Prue, sweetie, you're a witch too!"

"Why. I'm not a witch at all!" She exclaimed. The odd thing was she was suddenly speaking in proper sentences; very unlike a five year old should be doing,

"Uh, no… your Prue Halliwell-Wyatt…" Paige and Phoebe shared a nervous glance. Prue appeared to believe she was the person she had dressed up to be and the frightening thing was, she sounded just like her.

"No, I'm Dorothy Gayle and I need to find the Wizard. Please tell me where I can find the Yellow Brick Road?"

"You!" Piper suddenly hissed, her eyes too, flashing white. "You killed my sister! I want my Ruby slippers you cursed brat!" She looked up and glared around the room, stopping everyone in their tacks. Piper's skin had turned a vile shade of green.

"I'll never give them to you, you Wicked Old Witch!" And with that, Prue, or Dorothy as it now seemed, ran from the room with fear in her eyes, apparently searching for a Yellow Brick Road.

"I'll get you my Pretty!" Piper yelled with an ominous cackle, "And your little dog too!"

AN- I'm sorry! I just couldn't resist ending on that line! Can you see why I've had fun writing this? Bare in mind Andy and Leo have still got to transform! Believe me, it's been hard resisting the temptation of giving Piper an army of flying monkeys in the next chapter! Lol! I know I promised some Cole/Jason rivalry, but that's in the next chapter more than this one! Review please!

Next chapter, 'The Wild Wild Witch of the West'- Prue continues her search for the yellow brick road. The remaining sisters struggle to stop Piper from exposing magic. Leo goes bad. Andy earns himself a serious time out. MJ receives a new power. And will they figure out Chimerak's plan is before it's too late?


	21. The Wild, Wild Witch of the West

Greetings from another world…live long and prosper! Hi there faithful readers! Thanks for the reviews, you made me very happy! …but then I got hit by a bus…seriously! Okay, so I didn't actually get run over, but it smashed my arm because it was driving too close to the pavement! And just in time for my exams, I have a very sore arm…again! At least it's the non-dominant arm this time! And it's not broken so it won't take as long to heal, but it's taking me ages to type! I think the world (and bus company) is conspiring against me! **sigh**

Prince Halliwell- thanks for the review! Yeah, Andy T was my inspiration for Andy's outfit! Lol! Leo as a Pirate is fun, but I had to try my best and not make him like Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean! Lol!

Silver-star-0- Thanks for the review! I'm a big Wicked Witch fan so I _had_ to include that line! Lol!

Peanut2lb- Thanks for the review! I always thought Piper would make a good 'wicked witch' after she compared herself to her in one of the early episodes! Lol! And I really enjoyed coming up with the costumes!

Money makes me smile- Thanks for the review! I'm glad you liked it so much! Lol!

.elementbabe- Thanks for the review! Don't worry, Mark hasn't been effected by the spell, only the Halliwell-Wyatts! I'm glad you liked it!

BlueOrbs998- thanks for the spectacular review! But, **puts on lord of the rings voice** 'you shall bow to no man' (nvm…lol!)) I miss season 1 and 2 Phoebe too! And the mental image of Cole as Peter Pan was just too funny (and strangely scrumptious…) to resist giving my readers! Lol! And rocking-ness should also be a word! It has now been added to my vocabulary! Teehee!

s.halliwell24- Thanks for the review! And you won't have to imagine any longer because Piper will actually do that in this chapter…you'll see!

Powerof4- Thanks for the review and I promise you'll love the baby! Lol!

Charmes1s-halliwells- Thanks for the review! You have a broom too? I thought I was the only one! Lol!

Rebanana- Thanks for the review! Don't worry about the exclamation marks thing; I tend to do that a lot too! (see what I mean?) I think someone finally noticed Paige's moustache because it's gone now! Lol!

Passions- thanks for the review!

Rangers1036- thanks for the review!

Cherry7up- thanks for the review! It took five days to read? Wow! Lol! Glad I can keep you hooked for so long!

Moonfirefairy- Thanks for the review. I know I haven't reviewed for ages, sorry! I'll try but I am really busy at the mo!

Okay, here I've taken inspiration from 'Pirates of The Caribbean' and 'The Wizard of Oz' in this chapter, none of which I own. It's probably going to get a bit far fetched, but trust me fun is needed in this chapter! By the way it is REALLY long! Lol!

**Chapter21- The Wild, Wild Witch of the West**

Phoebe and Paige wore identically shocked expressions, mouths hanging open, eyebrows raised. The fanned away the burst of red smoke which had just clouded around their sister, allowing her to disappear, and looked to Leo for an explanation.

"What just happened?" Danielle asked timidly from her place on the floor.

"Aunty Pipew getted new powas!" MJ exclaimed excitedly.

"Yeah," Paige replied, "…powers just like the Wicked Witch of the West…"

"Oh my god!" Phoebe barked, it finally dawning on her that Prue and Piper had turned into characters from 'The Wizard of Oz'. "Leo, how did this happen?"

"It's Captain Wyatt to you lassie!" He snarled in an English accent, pacing forward with a looming stance. (AN- Giving him an English accent is my way to dig at the Charmed writers. Why is everyone English in Charmed evil?)

"Crap!" Phoebe brought her hand to her forehead and scowled, but her scowl soon turned to a look of panic as she realised who Leo was headed towards.

"Well Poppet," He growled, removing the sword, which now looked rather unlike cardboard and a lot like metal, from his belt and pointing it towards MJ. The childish gleam that usually twinkled in his green eyes was replaced with menace as he placed it under her chin and forced her head up. "You'd make a nice maid for my ship… too bad it's bad luck to take a woman on board, even a miniature one…"

"Get the hell away from her!" Phoebe yelled spinning round to knock the sword from his hand.

"I wouldn't try that again if I were you." He growled, hauling his sword from Phoebe's grasp. His grin showed a set of blackened teeth and his breath held an utterly repulsive stench. There was a coldness dwelling behind his eyes, which told the remaining Charmed Ones that this was not Leo, and they had no idea what had happened to him.

"Um…Captain Wyatt," Paige began, approaching him with a confident façade. "You don't, by any chance, feel like sticking around for a while?"

"Not when there's so much to be done!" Leo replied aggressively. "Places to go, treasure to find, people to kill."

"I didn't think so- wait, what?" As Paige finally registered what Leo had said, she stumbled backwards in shock. Before she could even think to stop him, Leo had dashed across the room to the open window.

Phoebe, who had turned her back to the scene for a brief moment to check that Melinda-Jayne was okay, picked up on her sister's sudden panic and spun round to find Paige attempting to grab Leo, whose legs were already hanging out of the ground floor window. The youngest Charmed one had a grasp on the sleeve of Leo's coat, but appeared to be struggling to keep a hold of him. "What the hell…"

"A little help might be nice!" Paige barked, frustration towards the situation bubbling in the pit of her stomach. Pirate Leo was definitely not the same gentle soul as the whitelighter she knew and loved and the dirt laden fingernails that were digging into her arm's exposed skin were making it hard for her to maintain her grasp. "Fu- Ow!" She yelled, biting her tongue to stop herself from saying what she had really wanted to say as his rotten teeth sank into her flesh. Apparently he was willing to resort to anything to flee the house and Paige wasn't going to stop him any longer. She pulled her arm backwards and clutched the red mark which was forming on it, pain etched into her face. "You'd better run…ass hole!" She screamed out of the open window in his direction, too utterly bewildered by the situation to take anything in.

"Paige!" Phoebe scalded, "You let him go? We can't let him just roam around the city unsupervised! I know this is San Francisco on Halloween but someone's bound to notice! And we don't even know what's caused it! What if a demon attacks him or something?"

"He _bit _me!" She replied in disbelief, but the appearance of Cole and Jason in the doorway stopped her from getting angry with her sister.

"Um…" Cole looked from a worried Phoebe to an angry Paige and finally to his petrified wife, "Did Leo just jump out of the window?" He asked, his brow knitting.

"And why is Prue harassing us about the Yellow Brick Road?" Jason added.

"I can't tell you exactly why, but apparently they now believe they are who or what they've dressed up to be…" Paige explained vacantly, "I think we need to go to the Manor, scry for Piper, who, hopefully, still counts as a witch and look in the Book of Shadows…"

"Paige, we can't just leave Leo wondering the streets!"

"I'll follow him." Both Cole and Jason offered in unison. They looked to each other in disgust, both regretting the offer, but it was too late to take it back now.

"Oh, _thank you_!" Phoebe told them, pulling Jason into a huge, appreciative hug and giving Cole a grin. "You'd better hurry."

"Cole, take you're cell honey." Danielle told her husband, giving him a quick kiss goodbye, secretly wishing she could join him. Magical situations were not something she liked the thought of dealing with.

Cole and Jason grudgingly made their way towards the door, not looking forward to having to spend an evening with each other chasing Leo through San Francisco. Neither was entirely sure of what was actually going on, but if you were part of the life of the Charmed Ones, you got used to being kept in the dark.

"Bye Jay Jay, bye Daddy!" MJ called as she watched her father and stepfather trudge down the garden path.

"Bye Princess!" Cole replied, while Jason gave an unenthusiastic wave.

"Be good!" She called, mimicking what her mother would tell her every time she left the house.

Phoebe quickly shut the door, cutting her daughter's farewell off, realising that Prue was eyeing the door in contemplation. Leo and Piper had already escaped and she was not willing to let her niece do the same.

Back in the dining room, Paige and Danielle were trying to calm down a very raucous Andy. The two and a half year old cowboy was certainly not acting like the sweet little boy he usually was and Paige was beginning to think she should wash his mouth out with soap. Something very demonic was afoot- at least she hoped it was. If Andy knew the words 'dirty whore' without being under demonic influence then she really _would_ wash his mouth with soap.

"Andrew Victor Halliwell-Wyatt, you get your little cowboy butt back here this instant!" She yelled as he paced away from her, clicking his heals on the floor as he did so.

"Lookee here Missy," He snarled, turning to face his Aunt and running his hand across the brim of his hat, "Nobody tells me what to do."

"Ho ho, buddy! I'm gonna tell you _exactly_ what to do!" Paige retorted, marching towards him and grabbing his wrist. Despite the fact he now acted like a rowdy, adult cowboy, he still had the physical form of a two and a half year old, which made it very easy to drag him from the room. "Mark!"

"Yes, my darling?" He said, emerging from the living room with Charlotte resting on his hip, his words slurred because of his plastic fangs. Apparently he had no idea of what had just happened.

"Watch this little toe rag for me, will you?"

"Um…" Mark looked to his wife with confusion and turned his attention to Andy, who was glaring at the woman who kept a firm grip on his wrist. He was aware that the Halliwell-Wyatts had arrived because he had bumped in to a very flustered Prue, but he had brushed it off as normal Halliwell behaviour. Now, however, he was beginning to wonder if something had happened. "Why did you just call Andy a toe rag?" He asked in confusion, bouncing Charlotte on his hip to stop her fussing.

"Because he is acting like one…of course that's only because he thinks he's a cowboy, but that's not the point. He called me a dirty whore, so I-"

"Wait a minute Sweetheart!" The nauctater interrupted, suppressing a laugh, but struggling to keep up. "He thinks he's a cowboy?"

"Oh right…you don't know, do you?"

"Know what?"

"Well, from what we can gather, someone- or something- has cast a spell on the Halliwell-Wyatts and now, they've turned into what they dressed up to look like!"

"…Right…" He looked at Paige and couldn't help but smile. She looked so beautiful when she worried. "But you were ranting on this morning about how Piper was going as a witch and that she should be fighting the cliché instead of embracing it…doesn't that mean she's okay? Why can't she take care of Andy?"

"Because she's not your everyday witch! She's the Wicked Witch- yes the one from Oz- and she's disappeared. So has Leo, who, by the way, held a sword to MJ's throat and preceded to tell us he had people to kill. Now, Cole and Jason are chasing him through San Francisco!" Paige drew a deep breath into her lungs and tightened her grip on Andy, who was still struggling to get away from her and she looked pleadingly at her husband.

"I'll look after Andy for you." Mark told her, trying to take in all the information Paige had just given him. "Go to the Manor and look in the book. Take Phoebe. Danielle and I can look after the kids."

**xxxxx**

An awkward silence lingered in the air between the two men who were walking at a brisk pace through the streets of San Francisco in pursuit of 'Captain Wyatt'. Neither had uttered a word since leaving the party and neither planned on doing so any time soon. There was a tension between Cole and Jason that could be picked up on from just looking at them, a certain air of loathing. Of course, the reason towards either's dislike was unclear to anyone else, but it was something that had been there since before either knew the Halliwells, back when Cole had been Belthazor, posing as a lawyer.

_Flashback- courtroom, 1999_

_A young Jason Dean's mouth tightened as he awaited the judge's verdict. He knew he was innocent, but the opposition's lawyer, a certain Mr Cole Turner, had been very persuasive, almost intimidating. Jason's online dating business had just taken off to a flying start and the steady income he was gaining from it, added to that of his other businesses, was making him a very wealthy twenty-eight year old. All he needed to put a glitch in his success was a lawsuit from an unsatisfied client who claimed the dating service had endangered her- a client Jason wasn't even aware of having, but it looked as though things were not going his way. A bead of anxious sweat ran down his forehead as he met the judge's eyes._

"_Mr Jason Dean will pay a some of two thousand, five hundred dollars to Abigail Smith on account of…" _

_Jason didn't listen to what the judge had to say after that, as he filled with a nervous rage. He narrowed his eyes and glanced towards the woman who had sued him, and her lawyer. Cole Turner met his eyes and gave a patronising smile, followed by an arrogant wink. Jason knew that if he ever crossed paths with that man again he would have to restrain himself._

(AN- I know this is unimportant to the plot just now, but it will be relevant later!)

Jason scowled, remembering the biggest setback of his career. It seemed petty, even to him, that he still held a grudge against Cole, especially when he was the father of his stepdaughter. However, both men were not the type to stand down easily so neither was brave enough to make amends.

"Holy crap!" Cole exclaimed, breaking Jason's chain of thought and pointing skyward. "I think Phoebe's problems just got a whole lot worse!"

"What? Why?" Jason replied, squinting into the night sky and not catching a glimpse of what Cole had been pointing at.

"See that thing moving around up there?"

"I think so…"

"Well I'm pretty sure that's Piper!"

**xxxxx**

Chimerak paced the dark and dingy underworld cave and drummed his gaunt fingers together impatiently. His plan was falling into place perfectly. The Halliwell-Wyatts had turned and were running loose in the city. If this didn't distract the remaining family members for long enough for him to take over the Nexus, he didn't know what would. But he was still waiting for the remaining witches to leave the Manor. If they had figured out who had cast the curse on the costumes then they'd be a danger to him if he shimmered into the house whilst they still resided in it. But it would only be a matter of time before they had to leave. They would have to stop their family members from exposing magic.

**xxxxx**

Paige, Phoebe and Laura, who had insisted she came along, appeared in a twinkle of blue and white lights in Piper and Leo's bedroom. Neither of the charmed ones had been convinced that Danielle and Mark could handle Dorothy, a boisterous cowboy, and four other kids, but they knew that they had to find out what had happened to their sister and her family before magic was exposed. Paige let go of Laura and Phoebe's hands and began to rake around the room, searching for anything that could help.

"What are you doing?" Phoebe asked curiously, wondering why Paige had orbed them to Piper's room instead of the attic.

"Lookin' for clues!" Laura told her Aunt with a role of her huge blue eyes; as if it had been as clear as day. She began to rumble around the bed.

"We need to find something to go by before we look in the book. There's bound to be hundreds of demons that can cast spells on Halloween costumes!"

"Right, okay! I'll check some of the other rooms and see if I can get a premonition."

"Mommy?" Laura asked, jumping excitedly on the spot. "I finded a clue!" She held out her hand and Paige's eye's widened in shock, as she suppressed a burst of laughter with a startled cough. In Laura's had resided a pair of metal handcuffs.

"Where did you find those?" Paige asked, eyebrows raised.

"Under the pillows."

"Put them down and go to the bathroom to wash your hands!"

"Why?"

"Just do it please Pixie- oh my god, what is that smell?" Paige stopped in her tracks and brought a hand to her nose in revulsion. She opened the wardrobe and found nothing out of the ordinary, but the rancid smell lingering in the area was beginning to seem demonic. "Phoebs, come here!"

"You rang?" She asked emerging in the doorway. "Find anything?"

"Yeah, something that smells like it belongs in the underworld."

"Andy's room smelled awful too!" Phoebe replied, "Do you think that's anything to go by?"

"Well it's slightly more productive than Piper and Leo's kinky sex toys." Paige mumbled in disgust, quiet enough so that Laura wouldn't hear, brushing past her sister and heading towards the attic.

"_What?_" Phoebe yelped. "On second thoughts, I don't need to know."

The attic was its usual cluttered mess when Paige, Phoebe and Laura entered. The youngest charmed one made a beeline towards the book of shadows, whilst Phoebe headed towards the table where she could scry for her older sister, praying that she still counted as a witch. Laura followed her Aunt, eager to use the scrying crystal and she gave a broad grin when Phoebe handed it to her, along with a twig from the broom Piper had been holding when she disappeared.

"Really?" She asked, her huge blue eyes lighting up.

"Yeah, I'm gonna help your Mommy look in the book, okay? Do you know what to do?"

"Yup!" Laura replied keenly, "I watches Daddy!" The four year old turned her attention to the map her Aunt had laid out on the table, wrapped the string of the crystal around the twig and began to let it circle the map, fervently waiting for it to land.

Phoebe dashed to her sister's side and saw Paige had already began flipping through the book's ancient pages. Her mind was buzzing and her worry over Piper and Leo was making it hard to concentrate on anything her little sister was saying.

"Phoebe? _Phoebe?_" Paige snapped in frustration.

"What? Sorry?"

"The demon of illusion? Apparently he uses magic to bring things to life, and to somehow create violence in society-, which makes sense: what creates more violence than a Halloween costume? They're all so gross and evil."

"Yeah, except it doesn't mention anything about a smell and besides, we vanquished him already!"

"Urgh! This book needs an index!" Paige groaned.

"Mommy, I found Aunty Piper!" Laura exclaimed proudly, interrupting her mother and aunt's conversation. "Look, she's near da bridge!"

"Pixie, the crystal's pointing to Twin Peaks." Paige replied with a motherly smile and a sigh of relief. At least now they knew where Piper was.

"No it wasn't!" Laura insisted, "I'll show you!" Before she could even pick the crystal from the map, she let out a startled yelp as it tugged out of her hand and landed on a different spot on the map. "What's it doin?" She asked curiously, not understanding why she couldn't get the crystal to work.

"Aw crap!" Paige exclaimed, "That means that you're Aunty Piper is moving. Phoebs, we have a problem."

"Well at least now, we only have one! I found the demon!" Phoebe replied with a smile. "Chimerak: uses ancient demonic chants to conjure beings and bring things to life; distant relation to the demon of illusion. Distinguishing features are his skeletal appearance and foul smell. Feeds on power."

"Sounds like we've found our man!" Paige said, her heart lightening just a little, "But how is he possibly gaining power from turning Piper and co. into their Halloween costumes?"

"Beats me, but at least we know who we're up against. We need a power of three spell to vanquish him, but there's a potion to reverse the effects of his magic. All we need to do now is find Piper and Leo…"

"Right, have you got ingredients at your place? I don't want to leave Mark and Danni with the kids for too long."

"Yep, orb away!"

**xxxxx**

Mark had finally managed to convince Prue to sit still in the dining room…not so much as convince, but the only way he and Danielle had managed to get her to stop attempting to escape was by locking her in the room. Of course, Danielle and MJ were in there with her, but Mark could still hear the angry shouts and pleas of his eldest niece coming through the door. He, thinking he had the easy job of looking after Andy, had left Rachael and Ben to sleep in the living room, but he was quickly discovering that cowboys were a lot to handle.

In the kitchen, Andy had overturned the table and smashed Phoebe's best dishware all over the floor. Despite the fact Mark knew that Phoebe didn't cook, she was still going to bite his head off for letting it happen. Andy was currently attempting to get past his Uncle and out of the back door, but with little success. Mark stood firmly in front of the door and tried his best to look intimidating, but Andy seemed more relentless than ever to defy authority.

"Daddy?" Came a sleepy voice from the other end of the kitchen and a very tired looking Rachael toddled through the door, rubbing her eyes with her hands and giving a large yawn, unaware of the danger her cousin posed.

"What Snowflake?" Mark asked, his eyes not moving from Andy, who had quickly turned to face the source of the voice.

"I'm hungy." She said, innocently patting her stomach.

"Well lookee here," Andy snarled, "Why don't you go and kill a wild animal like the savage that you are?"

Mark watched his nephew's green eyes narrow and hand move to the hoister in his belt. It took a moment for him to realise what Andy had meant, but it dawned on him when he looked to his youngest daughter that she was dressed as a Red Indian. He knew the rivalry between the two cultures had been mild in real life and spruced up by films, but it appeared the curse on the Halliwell-Wyatts was giving them a more stereotypical outlook on life. The Nauctater's jaw dropped when he saw what Andy had retrieved from his belt. In his right hand resided a small pistol, and it was not a plastic one like Andy should have had. The pistol was real.

Mark made sure the back door was locked before quietly edging to the side of his nephew. He had to get Rachael out of here.

"Daddy Andy callded me a sandwich!" She said, taking a step forward, but she stopped when her cousin raised his gun. "Yo Mommy say no gun." She told him firmly, knowing the rules of the house. "Put 'way!"

"You can't tell me what to do savage!"

"S'ut up!" Rachael retaliated and Mark's heart rose into his throat as a loud bang echoed through the air.

He lunged forward at a rapid pace, using his own body as a protective shield and he winced in pain as a sharp bolt pierced his lower back. His muffled cry of agony was drowned out by Rachael's piercing scream as a mountain of ice shot from her fingertips, encasing the grinning cowboy.

"Daddy!" She cried, her jaw trembling as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Shh Snowflake, Daddy's okay." He tried to assure her, but with little success.

"You's beedin'," She choked, seeing the pool of blood appearing around her father, "Unca Weo!"

"Oh my god!" Came Danielle's voice from the doorway, her face was a wash of shock. "Did he shoot you?"

"Yeah…" Mark attempted to sit up, but found the pain in his lower back unbearable. However, he managed to give Rachael's hand a comforting squeeze before addressing his friend. "Do you know how to dress a wound?"

"Yes, but…don't you have a whitelightery person?" Danielle paced slowly into the room and picked Rachael up from the floor where she was lying, screaming uncontrollably.

"N…no." He replied. It was breaking his heart not being able to comfort his little snowflake.

"I thought you were a witch?" The petite Hispanic woman asked curiously.

"I am." Mark replied, "But I'm a nauctater…they don't have whitelighters. They have-"

His sentence was cut off by the swirl of blue orbs, which appeared behind him to reveal Paige, Laura and Phoebe. Phoebe's eyes were immediately drawn to her ice-coated nephew, but the fact he was encased in an ice sculpture of himself was not what worried her. It was that his arms were held forward with what looked like a gun held in his hands. Laura took one look at her sister and her jaw dropped. She had never seen Rachael look so scared, but when hey eyes averted to he father's blooded form she understood why. Paige was too overcome by emotion to feel anything. It appeared that her nephew had shot her husband and her youngest daughter had witnessed it.

"Ho ho, buddy!" She scoffed, glaring at the tiny ice sculpture, "When this is over you are getting a _serious_ time out!"

"Where's Melinda-Jayne and Charlotte?" Phoebe asked with concern.

"In the dining room with Pr- oh no!" Danielle brought a hand to her forehead and looked timidly at the women who were giving her very curious glances. "I got so worried when I heard the gun that I just panicked and- I think I left the dining room door open."

"You mean- Aw crap!" Paige, who was now kneeling next to her husband turned her head towards Danielle and it took all of her strength not to burst into angry yella. Could this night get any worse? "Pru- Dorothy?" She shouted.

No reply.

"Phoebs, check if she's left the house. If she has, take MJ and follow her. MJ can shimmer you back here when you find Prue. And keep your eyes peeled for Piper too. I'll call my dad to heal Mark and orb the potions to you when they're ready, okay?" The youngest charmed one could feel her stress levels rising and with the huge headache that was forming, barking orders seemed like the simplest thing to do.

"Sir, yes sir!" Phoebe gave a mock salute and shot a still bleeding Mark a weak smile before leaving the room. This was going to be one hell of a long night.

**xxxxx**

Chimerak smirked as he appeared in the basement of the Halliwell Manor. He, a supposed feeble and weak demon with puny powers and the inability to kill his own kind, had outsmarted the infamous Charmed Ones. He stood in the empty room and paced back and forth, drumming his skeletal fingers together in contemplation. What was going to be the best way to open the Nexus and free the Shadow?

**xxxxx**

Mark kissed a sleeping Rachael's forehead and smiled gratefully at Paige's father, suddenly very appreciative of whitelighters. "Thanks Mr Wilder" He said, buttoning his shirt and flexing his back to check all the pain had gone from where the wound had been. Now that he had been healed, he no longer felt like he was useless. He could see how stressed his wife was becoming and now he was going to be able to help with the potion.

"Potion's done." Came Paige's voice from the doorway.

Or not. "That was quick." He told her with a smile.

"Yeah, apparently Laura has a knack for potion making as well as spell casting." Paige replied proudly. "I've orbed a few potions to Phoebe and a few to Jason. Hopefully the guys will understand what they're for- that is if they haven't already killed each other."

"Paige," Sam, the usually quite optimistic whitelighter interrupted with a solemn tone to his voice. "You have to find Piper and vanquish Chimerak before it's too late."

"What do you mean?" Paige asked, eyebrow cocked.

"The elders think he's going to try and go after the Nexus."

"This day just keeps getting better and better."

"I'll work on a spell if you like?" Mark offered, easing himself from the couch and approaching his wife.

"No, I'll do it. But first we need to change Andy back."

"Where is he?"

"Danielle's gone to get him. We freed him from the ice and locked him in the playroom so that he couldn't do any more damage."

"What about the gun?" Mark asked with an edge of worry in his voice. "I swear Piper will have a fit when she finds out what he did."

"There is no doubt in my mind, honey; none at all. That is if we can find her."

"I'll ask the elders if they know where she is." Sam said orbing out with a wave just as Danielle and Laura entered with a very angry Andy.

"Get your hands off of me!" He yelled, spitting in Danielle's face.

"Buddy, seriously," Paige began, "If you weren't under a spell you would so be in time out. Danni, can you step back?"

"Gladly," The petite Hispanic woman let go of Andy's arm and moved to the side where she stood next to Laura, allowing Paige's potion to get a clear target.

A purple smoke enveloped the small cowboy from head to toe and the occupants of the living room watched in anticipation as he swayed slightly. Paige anxiously approached him as he began to cough quite violently and she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Andy?" She whispered, meeting his green eyes with her brown. She needed no reply to know that she had her nephew back and he wrapped his arms around her neck and began to cry softly onto her shoulder. "Shh, it's okay." She whispered into his ear and he pulled away from her.

Mark sighed in relief as he watched his nephew return to normal; one less problem to deal with. He gave a weak smile as Andy warily approached him and he knelt to meet the small witch/whitelighter's eye level. Andy's face was a wash of guilt and he cautiously tugged on the vampire cape Mark still wore.

"I solly," He whispered. Apparently he remembered everything he had done.

"Hey, don't worry about it dude." Mark ruffled his nephew's hair and continued, "It wasn't your fault, okay? It was the demons, and we're going to take care of him…as soon as we find your family."

**xxxxx**

Luckily for Cole and Jason, the harbour was relatively empty. After making many failed attempts to contact Phoebe, Paige or Mark and warn them about Piper, they had continued their pursuit of Leo and he had lead them to the dockyards. Much to their relief, the only pedestrians they had come across thought Leo to be a drunken fool on his way to a Halloween Party, and Leo's sword had remained in his belt. Unfortunately, it looked as though things were about to get a whole lot worse.

Leo paced the harbour's edge, taking in the familiar scent of the ocean. It beckoned him with its indescribable beauty and the voice on the sea breeze called to him in a hoarse whisper. Cole and Jason watched in anticipation as Leo's eyes swept the vast display of boats, knowing that he was undoubtedly going to commandeer one. How they were going to stop him they did not know, but they were going to have to do something.

"Leo!" Jason yelled in a desperate bid to gain his friend's attention, hoping he could keep it for long enough for Phoebe and Paige to do something.

"Oh look, it's my stalkers." He growled, turning to face the two men. "Scurvy dogs!"

"Yeah, um…" Cole looked to Jason with a narrowed gaze. What the hell were they meant to say?

"We want to join your crew!" Jason announced and Cole tried his best to not show appreciation for the words.

"Well do ye know the Pirate's code?" Leo snarled, removing his sword from his belt, "Can ye fight?"

"Sure!" Cole stepped forward, hoping to show up Jason by using some of the fencing skills he had learned as a demon, but a sudden weight in his pocked stopped him in his tracks. They felt like potion vials. It looked as though Paige and Phoebe had pulled through again.

"Do we throw them?" Jason whispered. Apparently he had received vials too.

"I guess…" He put a hand in his pocket and pretended to be searching for a knife. He pulled the tiny vial out and closed his eyes in apprehension, thrusting it towards his friend.

Leo was wrapped in a fog of purple smoke and his sword, apparently returned to cardboard, dropped to the floor.

"Oh God!" Leo scoffed, his brow knitting and cheeks turning pink. "Did anyone see me? The elders are going to be so mad…"

"Leo, don't worry! We're fine!"

"Right. I guess we'd better go help the girls." With that, Leo grabbed his two friends' shoulders and orbed out, avoiding any ridicule they could possibly give him.

**xxxxx**

Phoebe was amazed at how fast her five-year-old niece could walk. She almost had to jog to keep up with Prue, and carrying MJ was not helping her speed up. She began to contemplate allowing her eldest daughter to shimmer them to where Prue was, but before she could even register her own decision she stopped dead in her tracks and panic swept through her. Only six feet above Phoebe's head sat Piper, mounted on a broomstick with her long, black cloak blowing furiously in the Autumn wind. Her green skin was illuminated by the city streetlamps and the shrieking cackle she was giving sent chills down Phoebe's spine.

"Aw crap!" Phoebe exclaimed. They were in the middle of San Francisco and Piper was flying around on broomsticks. This was not going to be good if someone appeared on the street.

"Well ring around the roses, a pocket full of spears." Piper screeched, swooping closer to Prue with every word. "Give me my ruby slippers!" She demanded.

"No I shan't!" Prue replied and although she looked very confident, Phoebe was picking up a very sudden burst of panic from her niece.

"Come on Paige…" Phoebe muttered and as if on cue she felt a sudden weight in her pocket. "Thanks sis!"

"Prue! She yelled, before remembering her niece now answered to Dorothy, "Um…Dorothy!"

Prue spun round and glared at her Aunt, at the same time avoiding the prying grasp of 'the Wicked Witch' "Who are you?" She asked accusingly.

"Erm…Galinda!" She was suddenly hit with an idea, "Good witch of the North! I've got something that will help you get home!"

"Really?" The hope that appeared in Prue's eyes seemed so real that Phoebe almost felt guilty.

"Yeah." Phoebe removed a vial from her pocket and thrust it towards her niece at full force. Luckily, Piper had chosen that moment to fly upwards and was not in the shot, meaning the potion was going to take its full effect on Prue. The small witch/whitelighter shuddered as a purple smoke surrounded her, but as soon as it cleared, she ran towards her Aunt's open arms.

"What happened?" She asked, peering through the dark to see her Aunt's face. "Why was I lookin' for the Yellow Road?"

"Orb to my house and get Aunty Paige to tell you, okay?" Phoebe wanted so much to explain what had happened, but she had one vial remaining in her pocket and a very good opportunity to free Piper from the spell too. "Please?"

"Okay…" Prue looked warily at her Aunt and MJ and disappeared in a swirl of blue and white lights. Unfortunately this left the two alone with a very angry Piper.

Phoebe clutched the second potion in her hand tightly as she slipped it out of her pocket. She took aim at her older sister, who was hovering feet away from them, and said a silent prayer. If this potion didn't work, magic was at risk of being exposed to everyone.

"Sorry Pipes," She whispered, her grip on MJ's hand tightening as she thrust the potion towards the green witch. The world seemed to move in slow motion as the small vial made its way through the air. Phoebe's heart rose into her throat and anticipation engulfed her. The potion finally reached its target, but it did not make contact with Piper at all. A sudden flow of, what looked, to Phoebe, like orbs, came with full force from underneath Piper's cloak and pushed the bottle of violet liquid back towards the clairvoyant witch. At first Phoebe thought I was one of the Wicked Witch's powers, but it had looked so much like a whitelighter ability and Piper looked just as shocked as her sister.

"What the heck was that?" Phoebe asked herself, but before she could even begin to comprehend what power Piper had just used, her attention was drawn to the potion vial. This was the only one she had and it was currently hurtling towards the ground where it was more than likely to smash. Acting on impulse, Phoebe let go of a very shocked Melinda-Jayne's hand and dove across the floor to where the vial was headed. She could not let it break.

Piper let out yet another ominous cackle as she watched the potion fall to the ground. The power she had just used was a mystery to her, but the sudden burst of good it had given her had quickly been overcome by wickedness. Whatever it had been, however, she was grateful. Had Piper been in the right mindset, she would have figured out why she had used a whitelighter power immediately, but as it was, she was more amused by the woman lying on the ground. Although Phoebe had managed to catch the vial, she was now covered from head to toe in rainwater and dirt from the street and Piper's cackle made her frown even bigger. Piper's attention, though, was quickly drawn to the little brat who was left all alone. She looked quite like the one who had stolen her sister's ruby slippers…perhaps she was Dorothy Gayle?

"You!" She hissed, landing her broom and taking a step towards MJ. "What's your name?"

"Melinda-Jayne," MJ replied backing away from Piper.

"Don't lie to me you cursed brat!" Piper shrieked taking another step towards the girl she did not know was her niece.

"B…but, Aunty Pipew…I didn't…" Piper was now too close for comfort and MJ, reacting on instinct, formed a fireball in the palm of her hand. She looked at it with a curious glance. It didn't feel hot like it usually did and instead of glowing a fiery orange, the ball of light in Melinda-Jayne's hand was glowing a neon yellow. She hesitated, not wanting to hurt her Aunt, but something in her gut told her it was safe to throw this fireball at Piper.

From her spot on the ground, Phoebe watched her eldest daughter form a fireball in her hand. She couldn't be sure, but the fireball appeared to emit an eerie yellow glow, as opposed to the orange Phoebe was used to. She took a sharp intake of breath as MJ threw the neon sphere towards Piper and she quickly rose to her feet. "MJ, no!" She yelled, but it was too late…or was it? Phoebe's panic turned to confusion as she approached her sister. Did MJ have a new power?

Piper braced herself for a fiery impact. No shield of orbs was going to appear this time. As the 'fireball' came into contact with her legs, however, she felt no pain at al…in fact she felt nothing whatsoever. She glanced down at her body and attempted to move her legs, but they were frozen firmly in place. Perhaps Dorothy Gayle was a witch after all?

"Look what you've done yo cursed brat! Who'd have thought such a foul little girl could destroy my beautiful wickedness?"

"MJ, what did you just do?" Phoebe enquired, making a mad dash towards her daughter and sister. Piper's limited motion was beginning to look quite odd.

"I frozed her legs!" MJ exclaimed excitedly. "Mommy I used a froze powa!"

"Wow…" Phoebe looked at the pride shining from Melinda-Jayne's eyes and couldn't help but wonder if MJ's statement had been correct. Although Piper's torso and arms were flailing wildly, it certainly looked as though the eldest Charmed One's legs had been frozen. If Paige's power was telekinesis, twisted because of her whitelighter blood, perhaps the neon yellow fireball was, in fact, a demonic form of temporal stasis? It made perfect sense when Phoebe thought about it, but MJ must only have been able to freeze a small section of Piper's body. "Well done pumpkin!"

"Trow da potion!" MJ told her mother, pride still spilling from her.

"What? Oh!"

The cloud of Purple smoke faded quickly from around Piper and the eldest Charmed One shot her sister and niece a grateful smile. "Oh thank God!" She looked at her hand and her smile widened, "I'm not green any more!"

"Aunty Pipew, I getted a froze powa like you and Laura!"

"I know! I'm very proud of you!" Piper crouched next to her niece and kissed her cheek.

'_It's about time I got a new power._' Phoebe thought to herself.

"Stop being so bitter Phoebs." Piper scolded.

"What?" She knew she hadn't said that aloud.

**xxxxx**

The entire family, including Danielle, Cole and a sleeping Benjamin, waited in the Manor's living room waiting anxiously for the Charmed Ones to return from the basement. They were all quite shocked to see them appear only three minutes after they had departed.

"Well that was the most anti-climactic vanquish in the history of the Halliwell line." Paige said, taking a seat on her husband's knee and planting a kiss on his lips.

"Tell me about it!" Phoebe agreed. "For all the trouble he caused he was pretty ignorant."

"Yeah, but if we had been thirty seconds later than we were, he probably would have control of the Nexus." Paige reminded her sister.

"Who cares, I just want to go to sleep." Piper slumped into the armchair next to her husband, who was still avoiding everyone's gaze. She no longer felt wicked and her skin was back to normal, but she couldn't help but wonder if the Wicked Witch's powers had stayed in her. Her mind was buzzing with thou sound of hundreds of voices, murmurs and whispers. She couldn't clearly make out what any were saying, but they were getting louder and louder.

'_I can't believe I bit Paige._' Leo's voice rang in her ears as she turned to him in disgust.

"You bit Paige?"

Leo looked shocked and faced his wife. How did she know that? From Phoebe's they had gone straight to the Manor, with no time to share any of the evening's events. "Yeah, but it was because of the spell!" He insisted, giving her an embarrassed smile.

'_Spell or no spell, Leo, if you weren't my brother in law I would have orbed your balls to Kentucky. Those teeth were gross!"_ Paige thought silently with the roll of her eyes.

"Paige!" Piper scolded, "You are not going to do anything of the sort!"

"Did I say that out loud?" The youngest charmed one asked Mark curiously. She knew she was one for speaking her mind, but she was sure she had kept that thought to herself.

"Say what?" Mark asked in confusion. Perhaps Piper had bumped her head when she was flying because nothing she was saying made any sense to him.

Paige looked at Piper and surveyed her. Her hands were pressed firmly over her ears and her face was contorted. "Piper, what the heck is with this freaky telepathy crap?"

"Telepathy?" Piper questioned. Actually it did make sense. The magical strength in Halloween had given MJ a new power; perhaps she had received one too? "Leo, is it possible I'm a telepath?" She asked excitedly.

"No." He replied bluntly, "Your powers are offensive and molecular based. Telepathy is a mind-based power."

"Then how-" She lost herself in thought knowing that she was _definitely_ using some sort of telepathic power, but Leo said they couldn't be hers. As far as she knew from reading the book and watching the film of 'The Wizard of Oz', The Wicked Witch wasn't telepathic. How had she developed a new and totally obscure power? Unless… her mind flashed back to the previous night and a happy realisation dawned on her. This must have been how she used orb deflection earlier in the evening too. It now made perfect sense, but was it possible for a new life to develop powers so quickly? She knew the answer already though. She could feel it in her heart. "_Oh my god._" She thought, not realising her thoughts were being projected into everyone else's minds too. "_I'm pregnant!"_

The room erupted into happy squeals and Piper sat in a stunned silence. Was the one day old foetus already able to project thoughts into people's minds too? This pregnancy was going to be interesting…

AN- So… I know the ending was anti-climactic, but soon you'll understand why I needed to give you light entertainment. I'd like to credit Prince Halliwell for making up 'orb deflection'. If you need an explanation of MJ's power it's basically this: Her fireballs were a demonic form of molecular combustion, but everyone believed them only to be normal fireballs because normal fireballs blow things up anyway. Her new power is a demonic form of temporal stasis, meaning the 'fireball' will freeze whatever it comes into contact with, but because the fireballs are small, thy can only freeze a certain amount of the person. Hope I didn't disappoint you! Please review!

Laur x

Next Chapter- A crossover between my fic and Prince Halliwell's 'Being Charmed'. (You don't have to have read it but I recommend you do anyway!) Paige, Laura and MJ are sucked into an alternate reality where Paige finds her family's life turned upside-down. Prue's alive? Phoebe's with Cole? Her counterpart is struggling with two loves and neither of them is Mark! And she has a daughter with _Glenn?_ Will they get themselves out of this mess, managing to avoid a demonic attack? And will seeing Phoebe and Cole together reopen old wounds for MJ?

**Important:** I apologise profusely, but I doubt if I will be able to update next Sunday. I have exams next week, which I desperately need to revise for, and one arm in a sling. From now on I'm keeping my arms glued to my sides when I leave the house. Once again, I'm SO sorry. I'll post chap22 ASAP!


	22. ALternate University Challenge

Hello! Sorry for the delay, but I am back in business. Okay, there are a lot of review responses today so I'm not wasting space by rambling!

Peanut2lb- You like Mark that much, huh? I'm so glad I've developed such a likeable character! You have no Idea how happy that made me! The Jason/Cole hatred is important in the latter half of the sequel…very important. And I am avoiding buses at all costs! Lol!

Money makes me smile- Thanks for the review! Hispanic is a race- like there are blacks and whites? People from Puerto Rico and places like that are Hispanic.

Powerof4- Thanks for the review! I thought everyone would have worked out if Piper was having a boy or girl-lol! Big clue: The baby had witch powers, not just whitelighter ones. I'm sorry I couldn't update sooner!

BlueOrbs998- Thanks for the review! You don't like Piper being pregnant? I promise you will love the character when she comes! Remember what the seer told Decron: "_The coming of the new year will bring the conceiving of the third child._" Halloween is only October- there's plenty time for Paige and Mark to…y'know. Lol! Just because Piper and Leo are having a third, doesn't mean Paige and Mark won't either. **sniggers** You won't be disappointed!

RJF- Thanks so much for that review! I've been walking around with an inane grin on my face ever since I read it! Lol! You're a fellow Scot? Where you from? And about the Demon names, I have a top-secret method:P Just kidding! Most of them are variations on what they are associated with, e.g. Chimerak- 'chimera' means a figment of your imagination. Or they are plays on my friends/families names, e.g. 'Nasus' Tribe- Susan spelt backwards! Ingenious or what? Lol!

Prince Halliwell- This chapter's for you! Thanks for the review! I knew you'd like MJ's power! Lol! I'm glad you liked the comedy, but after this chapter it's gonna get pretty dark…

.elementbabe- thanks for the review!

Cherry7up- Thanks for the review!

Rebana- still laughing about the 'goatee' thing! Come to think of it, they do all have goatees! Lol! Thanks for the review! I'm hoping I can do telepathy justice.

Charmed1s-Halliwells- thanks for the review!

Moonfirefairy- thanks for the review.

Phiona- somehow I doubt she'll call the baby Harry Potter, but your review rocked! Lol! Thanks!

Charmed Dawn- I do believe that was the longest review in the history of the universe! Lol! Thanks for all the compliments! I must remember to thank Prince Halliwell for recommending my fic- I think you'll like this chapter, it's a crossover between my fic and his! Oh and it's Piper's baby who's telepathic, not Piper, but it is gonna be fun!

Kendalpaigecharity- thanks for the review!

Rangers1036- thanks for the review!

Fanmania- Thanks for the review!

Okay, this is gonna be another two-parter because I felt guilty leaving you guys waiting! The second part should be up between today and Sunday. BTW I've not proof read this so if you find any errors feel free to point them out!

The alternate Universe characters, demons and powers all belong to Prince Halliwell, as does some of the dialogue used. If you like what you read then I highly recommend you check out his fics- 'simply charmed' and 'being charmed'! Enjoy dudes and dudettes!

Laur x

**Chap22- Alternate Universe-city Challenge**

Paige sank into the old loveseat in the Halliwell Manor's attic. She smirked as her eyes scanned the page in the very old book which rested on her knee and tried to push the mental image of Phoebe as a Banshee out of her mind. She had been up here for the past half hour and was supposed to be searching for something that could help Piper control her baby's telepathy, but, as she always did when she was looking for something minor in the Book of Shadows, Paige had gotten distracted.

Of course, Melinda-Jayne insisting that she saw the pictures of her father's demonic form had started Paige's flipping of the ancient pages. The small girl had quite recently developed an obsession with that page in the Book of Shadows and it had only just become apparent to the Charmed Ones that it was because the page containing information on 'Belthazor' also showed photos of Phoebe and Cole together. It appeared MJ still had inner demons about the fact her parents weren't together.

"Aunty Paige?" She asked, a whining tone apparent in her voice.

"Yes sweetie?"

"Rachy stealed my pen!"

"Rachael?" Paige asked sternly, looking towards the corner where the tiny redhead sat colouring in…the wall! "Rachael, don't do that!"

"Why?" She asked, turning to face her mother with a look of pure innocence twinkling in her blue eyes. "I's sowee…"

"I know Snowflake, but Aunty Piper's not gonna be very pleased is she?"

"Oops…" Rachael scanned the floor with her eyes and a worried look spread across her face, "Can you cean it wif da spell?"

"Okay, but promise you won't tell your Daddy or Aunties?"

"Pomise!" Rachael replied with a look of relief, which brought a small smile to Paige's lips. She had been thinking of using the spell anyway. Piper was already angry enough at the fact that she could constantly hear other people's thoughts and her older sister was one pissed off pregnant lady Paige did not want to mess with.

"Can I say it Mommy?" Laura asked eagerly, from where she had been sitting next to her sister. "Please?"

"Me too!" MJ yelled excitedly.

"Sure, come here and hold my hands." Paige smiled at the little girls' eagerness to use magic and patted the two spaces at either side of her on the couch. They ran towards her with enthusiasm bursting from their seems and jumped onto the loveseat energetically. "Ready?" Paige asked with a grin, but a strange tugging in her abdomen brought the grin swiftly from her face.

"Yep!" Laura replied, "Let the object of…what's wrong?"

"I don't know," Paige replied, doubling over as she felt herself being pulled from the attic, still clutching Laura and MJ's hands.

At the sudden silence that filled the room, Rachael's head turned towards the loveseat where her mother, sister and cousin sat…had been sitting. The attic was now empty other than the tiny redhead. "Mommy?" She asked, her voice beginning to tremble and jaw beginning to quiver, "Lola?" There was still no reply and tears began to fill Rachael's eyes, "Melly-Jay?" Still no answer and Rachael's slow tears turned to panic filled screams for her father.

**xxxxx**

Paige's eyes were still closed when her dizzy spell washed off, but she could no longer feel the loveseat underneath her. In fact, she was now standing. She knew Laura and MJ were still at either side of her, but panic soaked through her as she realised she could no longer sense Rachael…anywhere. She opened her eyes and looked towards where her youngest daughter had been sitting, but instead of seeing the redhead, her eyes met…her own?

Sitting in the corner, next to a chair Paige recognised to be the one they had destroyed all those years ago when they had vanquished the darklighter who had possessed Belthazor's powers, was a woman who looked remarkably like Paige. In fact, the only difference between the two women was that the stranger in the corner had _blonde_ hair.

"Demon!" MJ yelped, forming an orange fireball in her hand and thrusting it towards the familiar stranger leaving her bewildered Aunt and cousin to gawp open mouthed at the Paige 'clone'.

"You're the demon little missy!" The woman, who not only looked like Paige, but sounded like her, scolded, using a shield of orbs, very similar to the one Piper's baby had used on Halloween to deflect the potion, to return MJ's fireball. MJ, fortunately, shimmered out but Paige got even more confused. She had been going by the assumption that the other her was a demon, but she had used a whitelighter based power so that hypothesis was quashed.

"What the hell is going on?" Came another familiar voice and Paige let out a sigh of relief as Piper entered the attic. However, her relief was soon overcome by utter confusion. Piper was carrying a tiny baby in her arms and was followed by three little girls.

"Well, you see…" The other Paige began "I sorta…"

"You cast a spell." Piper finished for her and Paige's eyes widened. Maybe it wasn't the woman who looked like her that was the intruder? Maybe she, Laura and MJ were the intruders?

"Yeah, but I even wrote for it not to have consequences like it did with you!" The other Paige argued. This was getting a little too confusing.

"That means nothing!" Piper spat and her attention turned to the real Paige, whose face was a wash of sheer bewilderment. From what she could gather, this other Paige had summoned her to an alternate reality where, God forbid, she was blonde!

She turned her attention to the little girls who were with Piper and her feelings of being in an alternate reality were confirmed. She couldn't really catch a glimpse of the baby because she was huddled into Piper's chest, but it felt very odd seeing Piper with a baby that wasn't Prue or Andy. The eldest girl was remarkably cute. She had mouse brown hair, which she wore in pigtails and gorgeous blue eyes- not quite the same blue as Laura and Rachael's nauctater eyes but still beautiful. To Paige, she looked very familiar but she couldn't quite put a finger on who it was that the girl looked like. She was definitely a Halliwell, but with a hint of someone else...Glenn? Nah… The second was equally adorable and also very much a Halliwell. If Paige didn't know any better she could have sworn the girl was Prue's daughter. She had a head of thick, raven hair and stunningly mesmerising dark green eyes- so much like the eldest Halliwell that it was unreal. The final toddler was definitely the cutest. Paige didn't even need to look twice to know whom her parents were- Piper and Leo. She was gazing up at Paige with large brown eyes, running her small hand through her dark brown hair, and was giving a small and very cute giggle.

"You still haven't told me why I'm here!" Paige interjected, grabbing Laura and MJ's hands to stop them pacing forward, cocking an eyebrow and sighing. What the hell had she been pulled into this time?

"I cast a spell to find out whether it's Glenn or Kyle I love." The blonde Paige explained

'_Gee, that was a big help! I seriously hope I'm not that vague!' _Paige thought, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. She still didn't exactly understand what was going on and could sense neither Laura nor MJ knew either. Another thing that had struck her was that when her alternate self had mentioned the names of two men, neither had been Mark.

"Okay, I'm gonna get confused." The alternate Piper announced, causing Paige to give her a look of disbelief. _She_ was confused? "So what are your names?"

"Paige Anderson." Paige said contemplating whether or not to offer her hand to Piper…what would be the point of offering her hand to her own sister- Alternate reality sister?

"Anderson?" The other Paige asked. Evidently Mark did not exist in this reality.

"Married," She told her 'twin', flashing her wedding ring.

"My name's Laura!" Laura said from her place at her mother's side, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. She raised her hands in an attempt to freeze the alternate Piper and Paige, but to no avail.

"Me MJ!" Melinda-Jayne announced, following her older cousin in making an introduction.

"I don't care what your name is!" The other Paige snapped causing MJ's face to drop. "Why do you look after mini-demons in your world?"

'_Because I'm the source of all evil and she's my freaking minion!' _Paige thought sarcastically with yet another roll of her eyes, but resisted the temptation to say it out loud, knowing that her temper was only rising because she did not like not knowing what was going on."She's my niece." She retorted, shocked by her alternate self's rudeness, but trying to remain calm. She walked forward, leaving Laura and MJ where they stood, to approach the other her. "Phoebe and Cole's daughter, but she's pretty much all Cole…magic wise anyway!" This seemed to satisfy the alternate universe Halliwells and Paige gave a small smile. At least they recognised Cole's name.

Laura looked from a frustrated MJ to where her mother was standing and her face screwed up in confusion. Both of the women in front of her looked like her mother, both wore the same perplexed expression, and both even stood in the same position. Without her glasses, Laura was having a hard time deciding between the two.

"Which one my mommy?" She whispered to MJ.

"Dat one!" MJ replied, pointing to the blonde. "She's mean."

"My Mommy is not mean!" Laura protested with a stamp of her foot. MJ just responded with a shrug and turned to Piper who had been watching the two girls with a smile.

"Aunty Pipew?" She asked, batting her eyelashes, not understanding that this wasn't _her_ Aunty Piper. "Can I go pay wif Andy?"

"He's at work right now." She replied, her brow knitting.

"Don't be silly!" Laura exclaimed with a loud giggle, giving her mother a sly smile.

"Andy doe wok!" MJ continued with the same smile as her cousin, "He too ickle!"

"Not in this world." Piper explained, causing both girls' to share a baffled look. _This world?_ "Andy's an adult."

"Andy's our Uncle." The oldest of the alternate realty children said, edging forward in a very similar manner to Laura. Paige jerked her head to the side. If Andy Trudeau was alive in this world then maybe her assumptions of the little girl being Prue's daughter had been correct? Before she could open her mouth to speak, however, Laura had stepped towards the three girls.

"We got Uncle Andy too!" She told them excitedly before looking to the floor and letting out a melancholy sigh. "But he's in Heaven…"

"I can see this might cause problems." The alternate universe Piper said, looking between the two Paiges.

"Yeah," The real Paige agreed, "Especially if Andy's alive in your world." She looked down at Laura, who she knew had developed a very strong liking to her 'Uncle Andy' in the short time that he had been on earth. If Laura discovered Andy was alive here Paige would have a hard time explaining why. "We're lucky if we get to see him or Prue once every few months…maybe years." Paige let out a sigh, much like the one Laura had given a few moments before. Even thinking about Prue made her upset.

"Prue?" The alternate Paige gasped, her eyes widening in a look that Paige recognised from the mirror as terror. "Prue's dead too?"

"Yeah…" Paige looked up and felt her heart sink. Whatever warped reality she had been summoned to, Prue was alive. All the emotions she was sure she had gotten rid of came rushing back to her and she felt tears prickle in the corners of her eyes. In this reality she was a real sister, not a replacement like she had always subconsciously believed. Perhaps her purpose in life was not to take Prue's place in the power of three? "Are you saying she's alive in your world?" Paige had to make sure; this was just too much to handle. She wiped a stray tear from her eye and looked to her alternate self for an answer.

"Yeah."

Paige's burning urge to continue asking questions did not die, but before she could open her mouth again, Piper spoke.

"How 'bout I take the kids downstairs?"

Paige looked from Piper to the three alternate universe girls, to her alternate self and finally to Laura and MJ. After a few seconds of contemplation she decided that she could trust her daughter and niece to behave and gave a curt nod, her mind burning with so many questions that, for the moment, thoughts of the real world washed from her mind.

**xxxxx**

Mark reached the top of the stairs in a bid to escape his sister-in-law's telepathy and his ears were met by the sound of his youngest daughter's frantic screams. His blue eyes scanned the corridor before he realised that the noise was coming from the attic and he proceeded to sprint up the second set of stairs with panic coursing through his veins. The only sound coming from the attic was the sound of Rachael's sobs and he was positive that his wife, eldest daughter and his niece had been up there with her.

"Oh my goodness!" He exclaimed, rushing to his daughter's side and nearly slipping on the fresh coat of ice which lined the floor beside her. "Snowflake, what happened?"

"M…mommy g…goed bye bye!" Rachael choked, calming down at the appearance of her father but still very startled by her mother, sister and cousin's sudden disappearance.

"Where did they go?" Mark asked hurriedly, "Did a demon get them?"

"No…dey dust dis'peawed."

"Just like that?"

"Yuhuh…"

"Crap…Piper! Phoebe!"

**xxxxx**

The frown on Laura's face had not moved since her alternate reality Aunty had taken her downstairs and although she was usually very much a people person, she was very reluctant to speak to any of the other girls, except MJ of course. Melinda-Jayne and Laura did still not quite grasp the fact that this wasn't _their_ world and the situation was not helped when Laura spotted a photo, of her mother and another little girl, hanging on the wall.

"What your name?" She asked, turning to the girl in question, realising MJ, though still in a bad mood, had already began babbling away to the two younger girls.

"Karis." She replied curtly, obviously not trusting Laura at all.

"I'm Laura," Laura replied, "Why is you in dat picta with my Mommy?" She indicated to the picture with her hand and deepened her scowl. That was where her mother's wedding day photograph was supposed to hang.

"Dat's _my_ mommy!" Karis responded angrily, sticking out her tongue.

"No she ain't!" Laura snapped, quickly disliking this girl. She was a liar. "She is me and Rachy's mommy! _Stupid_."

"I am _not_ stupid!" Karis exclaimed irritably, and Laura was too furious to notice the girl's striking resemblance to Paige. "Aunty Piper! She called me stupid!"

"Both of you stop arguing!" It seemed that in every reality Piper had her motherly authority because the two girls were soon silent, leaving them to listen to MJ's conversation with her newfound friends.

"Grace?" Melinda-Jayne asked the second oldest of the alternate universe children. "Patrice sure laughs a lot." She pointed to the third toddler- the one Paige had worked out to be Piper and Leo's daughter- and raised a confused eyebrow. The little girl was laughing happily as Grace tried to teach her to say 'demon'. MJ had taken quite a liking to the two younger girls, but it was the tiny baby in the bassinet that had really caught her attention. "Who's dat buba?"

"Vat's Patrice's sista, Charlotte." Grace replied and MJ scowled.

"No it's not!" She replied, genuinely angry. Charlotte was _her_ sister, not Patrice's, and she was most definitely not a small baby. "Tarlie's _my _sister!"

"Melly-Jay, shh." Laura stepped forward and placed a hand to her lips, knowing what happened when Melinda-Jayne got angry. "amember Aunty Piper said we's in a diff'rent world? Maybe she's a diff'rent world Charlie?"

The alternate Piper sighed in relief as Laura walked towards her cousin, clearly grateful that the four-year-old knew how to calm MJ down. However, the alternate Piper was definitely not used to MJ's temper- she had obviously never experienced a child with demonic tendencies before.

"Tarlie's _my_ sista!" MJ repeated and the faint outline of a black line appeared across her eye. "_Mine."_

"_Mine!" _Patrice replied, still laughing because she didn't understand quite how serious an angry MJ was.

"S'ut up!" MJ snapped, her anger getting the better of her as her demonic nature slowly began to surface. Because she was too young to understand that they were in an alternate reality, she felt that the three little girls from the other world were intruding and her already bad mood did not help the situation. "See, dat's our Mommy!" MJ pointed to a picture of Phoebe and gave an obstinate scowl. She was not going to give up easily.

"Aunty Phoebe don't have any babies." Karis pointed out, not realising that this was going to make MJ even angrier.

"Shh." Laura said once more, worry filling up her blue eyes as she noticed MJ's tribal markings appear, "Please?"

**xxxxx**

Upstairs, the Paiges were still deeply engrossed in conversation. Paige had found out more about this alternate reality than she had bargained for and they had sill not reached the subject of why she was actually there. Apparently the oldest of the girls was her alternate self's daughter- she had not asked who the father was because she knew the answer was not going to be Mark- and she could only hope Laura did not get offended by her alternate universe daughter. The second girl, as Paige had expected, was Prue and Andy's daughter, by the name of Grace- a name she had actually considered for Rachael. Paige couldn't help but be upset by the existence of little girl. Piper and Phoebe had told her on many occasions that Prue had wanted a child and suddenly, Paige had been sucked into a world where she had one. The two youngest girls, Patrice and Charlotte, were Piper and Leo's daughters and Paige did not even need to think twice to know that if MJ heard the baby's name she would get _very_ angry. However, the curious lack of talk about her third sister was beginning to worry Paige and she felt the need to question why her alternate self never spoke about Phoebe when it came to the topic of children.

"So, what about this world's Phoebe? Is she with Jason?"

"Who?" The other Paige asked curiously. _Oops…_

"Never mind."

"She's with Cole- I thought you said that MJ was Phoebe and Cole's daughter?"

"It's complicated." Paige cringed, wishing she hadn't opened her mouth in the first place. This was going to be hard to explain. But then something suddenly dawned on her. "We probably shouldn't let Melinda-Jayne see her parents together…"

"Why?" The other Paige asked. Paige recognised the look on her alternate self's face as one of confusion and racked her brains for a simple way to put it.

"She sorta has some issues about Phoebe and Cole… in our reality they split up before she was born, so she's always felt kind of betrayed. I mean, don't get me wrong, she loves her stepfather and stepmother, but, especially with her demonic genes, it's a very touchy subject. I think seeing them together might just rile her a little."

"Oh…" The alternate Paige let the information sink in before turning to her counterpart with a look of realisation. "I don't think we should let Phoebe see her either. She and Cole are having problems conceiving. If she finds out she has a daughter in another universe it might upset her."

Paige looked to the floor and decided against telling her alternate self that Phoebe, in fact, had two daughters. It was odd to imagine a world without her part-demon niece, or Charlotte, or even Ben, so hearing that Phoebe and Cole could not have children in this universe was a little peculiar. "It's strange how this world can be so different to mine." She said, turning her head upwards. "I mean Mark doesn't even exist here."

"Who?" Once again, Paige's 'twin' looked confused, but this time Paige was willing to give an explanation.

"My husband." She beamed.

"I don't think I've ever even met a Mark!"

"Really?"

"Yeah…what's he like?"

"He's amazing." Paige felt her heart flutter at the thought of him and she could feel herself begin to get giddy like a schoolgirl. "Six foot four of Scottish hunk!" She gave a giggle- now she was even talking like a schoolgirl. "And he has the most incredible personality. He'd do anything for our daughters. I mean, growing up I never believed in love at first sight, but when I met Mark I just knew, you know? I love him so much…I don't know what I'd do without him." Paige was overcome with the sudden urge to return to her own universe, but the thing was, she wasn't sure how.

"So, your husband's called Mark?" The alternate Paige asked, seemingly taking a while to digest the information.

"He's a Nauctater- kinda like a cross between a witch and a hunter."

"You're so lucky." Paige's 'twin' said with a sigh. "The father of my child left us to go travelling and hooked up with some girl called Jennifer." Paige felt the need to tell her alternate self to orb his balls far away, but did not feel that it would be very appropriate, so she continued to listen. "Then I fell in love with someone called Kyle, and this morning Glenn asked me to renew our vows…"

"You married _Glenn_?" Paige scoffed. If she had been drinking something she would have choked. _Glenn? Her high school sweetheart?_ Sure, they still spoke often, but they both had their own families now! Heck, MJ even went to pre-school with Glenn's son!

"Yeah, didn't you two ever get together after high school in your world?"

"No!" Paige blurted, before realising how rude she must seem. "In my world Paige and Glenn just didn't fit."

"I'm starting to think that myself…"

Paige put a comforting hand on her alternate self's shoulder. It was very weird to see yourself get so worked up, but Paige knew she had been brought here to help, so that was what she was going to do. "Maybe that's just it. Maybe in this world there's _supposed_ to be Paige and Glenn?"

"I don't work with maybes." The other Paige stated, causing the real one to give a small snort of laughter. She didn't work with maybes either. Perhaps they weren't that different after all.

"Okay, so do you think that Paige and Kyle fit together?" She asked, hoping that Kyle was the correct name. Her alternate self just shrugged, but before Paige could question any longer a sudden warm feeling behind distracted her, as a warning seemed to go off in her head. Something seriously evil had just entered the attic.

"Hades." The alternate Paige gasped, her eyes widening in panic as she looked over the real Paige's shoulder.

"That's right." A voice, which almost dripped with evil, replied.

Paige looked up inquisitively, wondering why her alternate self had just mentioned the mythical Greek god of the dead she remembered studying in high school. And who the hell had just spoken? Before she could open her mouth to ask, however, a sharp pain from behind engulfed her body and she let out a small scream.

"I was alerted of a strange presence and now I know what it is." The same, cold voice sneered. The only voice Paige had heard which was that evil before was Decron. "You!" He spat. Paige couldn't even think to orb out as a fireball sent her limp body soaring through the air.

The next thing Paige felt was herself rising upwards and her heart sunk. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped as she struggled to fight back tears. She was dead. She looked down and saw her own body, which she was slowly rising out of, and her whole world came crashing down around her. If she died in the alternate Universe, Laura and MJ would be left alone, and she would never even get a chance to say goodbye to Mark or her precious Snowflake. Where would her spirit go- the alternate Heaven? This was too much to handle. She jerked her head upwards to see her alternate self return a fireball back to the ghost who had attacked them and she knew she needed to help.

"I'm a ghost," He snarled as the fireball passed straight through him. His booming voice sent a chill straight through the youngest charmed one, and looking into his eyes, which were only just visible from under the long black hood of his cloak, she felt terror beyond what she knew. His eyes were like empty shells of pure evil and even in spirit form, Paige could sense the power radiating from him. Whoever this was- be it this Universe's source, or the Greek ruler of the underworld Paige's alternate self had mentioned- he was not someone she wanted to deal with. Unfortunately, she had no choice.

"That makes two of us." She spat, realising that if she could not save herself, she would definitely save the other her. And maybe if she vanquished this ghost quickly enough, the alternate Leo could heal her before it was too late. "Ashes to ashes, spirit to spirit, take this soul, banish this evil!" Hope faded from her voice, as she realised nothing was happening…this was really it.

**xxxxx**

Downstairs, Laura was still struggling to calm MJ down. It was clear the alternate universe children were slightly scared of her demonic markings, but Melinda-Jayne's mood did not seem to be swaying.

"Melly-Jay," Laura whispered, "Please be goo- ow!" The four year old suddenly doubled over as a small scream escaped her lips. She looked up with tear filled eyes reached out for her alternate universe Aunty Piper. "D…d…demon." She choked. "Hurted Mommy." Laura could feel her mother's pain, but it left as soon as it came. This unfortunately did not make Laura feel any better. She could now not sense her mother at all.

"Stay here." Piper ordered, dashing up the stairs.

"Please save my Mommy…" Laura whispered, tears streaking down her face. The alternate reality girls were eying her in sympathy, but all Laura wanted was her father's comforting hug.

"Okay Laura." MJ replied, shimmering out without hesitation.

"MJ!" Laura hissed.

"Demon…" Patrice said with a giggle, noticing MJ's full on demonic tribal markings had appeared. Laura glared at her.

**xxxxx**

The alternate Piper appeared in the attic doorway and Paige wanted to yell at her for leaving the kids alone, but she still couldn't understand how the spell had taken no effect. "Why didn't it work?"

"Because not only am I a ghost, but I'm a God." The evil being replied, forming an energy ball in his hand and prepared to throw it directly at Paige's spirit.

"Paige!" Piper yelped, addressing the alternate reality Paige and raising her hands to blow up the energy ball. "See if you can heal her. Quick!"

Paige sighed in relief as her spirit sank slowly downwards and a warm glow entered her body. The blonde version of herself had healed her, but it took all of Paige's effort not to scowl. Her alternate self seemed to have a vast array of powers that she didn't have. However, the small glimmer of envy washed out of her completely when she noticed Hades send a powerful lightning bolt towards her. Luckily, both Paiges jumped out of its path before it could cause them serious damage, but Paige was no longer concerned for herself as she saw her niece shimmer in, in front of Hades.

MJ saw her Aunt was okay and turned to the evil being who had made Laura cry. She glared at him, the dark line across her right eye becoming clearer and the red hexagons on her temples growing with every passing second. She formed a fireball in her hand and narrowed her eyes. This demon had hurt her Aunt Paige and she was not happy.

"My, my." Hades smirked. "What do we have here?"

"ME!" MJ roared, the bad mood she had been in all day finally having some use as she sent fireball after fireball at the corporeal god.

"You're strong for such a small demon." He scowled, very unhappy that someone so small could have actually weakened him. "But that won't stop me from killing everyone in your family…in this world anyway."

Hades left his words lingering in the air as he flamed out, but MJ looked utterly horrified. The words '_killing_' and '_family_' rang in her head like a bell and her blood began to boil. She let out a loud scream and shimmered out, only to shimmer back in a moment later. Paige was used to MJ's temper tantrums, but she had never seen one as bad as this before.

"MJ, calm down." She ordered, walking towards her niece with concern radiating from her. Whatever had been bothering MJ for the past few weeks had finally bubbled to the surface, and MJ was not listening to her Aunt. "Melinda-Jayne Halliwell, you stop that _this_ instant!" She didn't like shouting at any of the kids, but it appeared to be the only way to get through to her niece as MJ slowly returned to normal. Paige noticed the alternate Piper and Paige staring in shock and she averted her gaze to a spot on the floor at the other side of the room, where a small cluster of orbs formed her daughter.

Laura saw her mother and relief washed through her. Her Mommy was okay. She ran up to hug her, but stopped when she saw Melinda-Jayne. "I take Melly-Jay downstairs…" She said, taking MJ's hand and orbing out.

"Her mommy will sort her out when we get back…but for that to happen I must fulfil my purpose for being here." Paige said. She was still in shock from everything that had just happened, but the quicker they got home, the better.

"I'll get back to the kids." Piper said, jogging from the room. Apparently attacks from Hades were common in this reality.

"Right, so what are we gonna do to help me choose?" Paige's 'twin' asked, taking a seat on one of the chairs that had not been destroyed.

Paige looked at her, trying to think back to her social work days. This normally would have been easy, but giving advice to yourself was a hard thing to do. "When you and Glenn got together, did you see something long-term?"

"Not really…neither of us did." She replied with a sigh, "He wanted to see the world and I wanted to help kids. I really wasn't ready for one of my own, but when I found out I was pregnant that changed everything. You could say it affected everything I planned to do, but if I had a chance to, I wouldn't change a thing. I love Karis more than life itself, more than any man."

Paige smiled. It appeared her alternate self had felt the same as her when she had gotten pregnant with Laura, but also she knew exactly what the other Paige should do. "You've just made your choice Paige." She said.

"What d'you mean?" The alternate Paige asked in shock.

"You've just told me that you only love Glenn because he became a real part of your life along with Karis. In my opinion you only love him because he's the father of your child." She watched as all the information sank in on her alternate self and, at the exact same time, both Paiges let out a sigh of relief. One because she knew who she loved, the other because she could now go home.

**xxxxx**

±Real world±

Piper slumped over the dining room table, crystal in hand and worry etched into her face. The crystal would not drop and hope of finding Paige, Laura and MJ was lowly fading from the ever-confident witch's heart. Phoebe, Jason and the kids had searched the Manor from head to foot at least three times and still found nothing to help them figure out where the missing three had gone. Leo had even orbed himself and Mark to the Underworld to sense for them but had returned with nothing more than they had left with. Piper refused to believe the only possible explanation was that they were dead, but unless they had been pulled from the face of the earth, it was slowly becoming the only answer.

Upstairs, Mark lay Rachael down for a nap in Andy's bedroom. She had not left his side since her mother, sister and cousin had disappeared and was refusing to go to sleep if he left the room. As her eyelids began to droop, Mark began to pace the room with electricity sparking from his fingertips. He had never felt so utterly helpless in his life. He and Paige had been through too much for it just to end with no explanation. And in Laura's four and a half year life, she had been so close to death so many times that the nauctater refused to believe she was gone. Unfortunately, the Nauctater's optimistic outlook was beginning to fail him. They could find no trace of Paige, Laura or MJ anywhere. He fixed his gaze on the slow rise and fall of Rachael's chest. She wasn't quite asleep, but the sight of her was enough to give him some hope. However, he did not know if hope was going to be enough.

"We_ will_ find them." A voice from the doorway said and Mark turned to see Phoebe.

"How can you be so sure?" Mark asked, the complete opposite of his usual optimistic self.

"I just know they're alive." Phoebe replied, stepping into the room, "If they were dead then the whole magical community would know…like they did when Prue died. Besides…I sorta summoned Grams…"

"She's here right now?" Mark asked, giving his sister-in-law a wide smile. For the first time in her life Phoebe had done something intelligent! "And she says they aren't 'up there'?"

"Well you could always ask me yourself!" Came a new voice as Penelope Halliwell entered the room with a roll of her eyes. "_Men_!"

"Hello Ms Halliwell." Mark replied as hope soaked back through him. If they were dead, they would have been in heaven.

"Hello Mark." She replied, giving him a warm smile in return, but at the same time her eyes were scanning him for something to pick at. When she found none, she stepped up to the Nauctater and wrapped him in a hug, which was quite a peculiar sight to behold. Penny had always taken a shine to Mark- more so than any of the other husbands at least- but Phoebe couldn't help but be shocked at her grandmother's kindness to him. "I trust you've been looking after my great granddaughters?"

"When are you ever wrong Ms Halliwell?" Mark smiled and rolled his eyes. He knew exactly how to humour Grams.

"Grams?" Rachael asked sleepily from the bed as she sat up to see her great grandmother.

"Hello my darling." Penny replied, picking the redhead up and kissing her forehead. "Now, let's go find your cousins and I'll teach you how to write a tracking spell."

"Why?" Rachael asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Well you want to find your mother, don't you?"

**xxxxx**

±Other Universe±

The alternate Piper looked to Paige and smiled. "So have you written the spell?" She asked.

"Yep, just a few words and we'll be home." Paige replied. As soon as her alternate self had left to find Kyle, she had begun writing a spell. She had never been so keen to get home in her life.

"Does it need the power of three or can just Paige and I say it?"

"Just you and Paige."

"Good because I don't want Prue to find out about this! She'll probably flip her lid! And telling Phoebe she has a daughter called MJ in a different world will really upset her." As she finished her explanation, her head jerked upwards, apparently having heard something downstairs.

"Yeah, Paige told me about how Phoebe can't have kids." Paige said, but a huge crash from downstairs shocked her and, upon instinct, she grabbed her alternate universe sister and orbed out.

They orbed in to see a vase shatter and turned to see Karis had just destroyed it with an orange lightening bolt. Apparently she had been trying to impress Laura.

"See! My magic better den yours!" Karis said arrogantly. Laura frowned and shot her hand to the side, blowing out one of the conservatory windows.

"Laura!" Paige scolded, "That was naughty!"

"Karis, your Mommy's gonna be real mad if she finds out." The alternate Piper said in the same warning tone.

"Show off!" Laura yelled at Karis, completely ignoring her mother.

"Poopy face!" Karis retorted, sticking out her tongue.

"At least I not scared of demons!"

"Am not!" Karis argued.

"Prove it!"

"Fine!" An expression spread across Karis's face, which Paige recognised as the same one Laura used when she was thinking of a spell and her stomach lurched. "Send everyone out and leave me and Laura alone wiv a monsta!" She chanted.

It had not been a particularly good spell, but as soon as the words escaped the girl's lips, Paige, the alternate Piper, and all of the kids minus Laura and Karis, disappeared in a swirl of twinkling white lights. Laura was about to remark about Karis being rubbish at making up spells, but before she could, she noticed what now stood in place of her mother and the alternate universe family. Dripping with a grotesque, green slime, and reeking of rotten eggs, the demon let out a furious shriek and Laura gulped. Uh oh!

AN-Once again, I'm really sorry for the wait! The next chapter should be up between now and Sunday! Please review!

Laur x

Next chapter- Grams enjoys some time with her grandchildren. Laura and Karis wreak havoc on the Manor, but what happens when they discover Demons can break through the spell? MJ encounters her alternate Universe parents- will inner demons resurface again? And will they _ever _get home.


	23. Life on the other side

Yo! It is I, Queen of all that is cheesy! Sorry for the delay in updating my computer was conspiring against me and I had a sucky weekend due to exam stress! Thanks so much for your reviews though!

Prince Halliwell- **phew** I'm so glad you liked it! Nope, I don't like Paige with strawberry blonde hair! Lol! Is it that obvious? Both Piper's child and 'the third child' will be born by the end of this fic, but I don't wanna give too much away about Paige's pregnancy. :P

Cutleryismyfriend- Thanks for the review! I'm glad you liked it!

Money makes me smile- I loved the line about Phoebe's intelligence too! Any chance to take a dig at her :P Thanks for the review!

Fanmania- Ooh, Thurso? I've been there! Lol. Thanks for the review!

RJF- The little pop at Phoebs just seemed so fitting! Lol… ±sniggers wickedly± I love writing the family moments as much as I love writing the drama so I'm glad you like it! Thanks for the review dude!

Moonfirefairy- thanks!

Rebanana- I'm glad it wasn't too confusing! Lol! Thanks for the review!

Cherry7up56- Thanks for the review!

BlueOrbs998- MJ's demonic side has only just started to shine :p It will be explored more in the next fic. I love writing kids! You'll have to give Prince Halliwell credit for the 'poopy face' line though! Lol! Thanks for the review! It rocked, as always!

Peanut2lb- Thanks for the review! Grams will be here until the end of the chapter!

.elementbabe.- Thanks for the review!

Powerof4- Thanks for the review! I always thought Prue's eyes were blue/green :S I think he knows that their mom's name is Patricia! Lol! If you read it carefully he says a _variation_ of the name Patricia!

Charmed1s-Halliwells- Thanks!

**Chapter23- Life on the other side**

Laura stumbled backwards and threw up her hands in a desperate, and unsuccessful attempt to freeze the repulsive green demon. She fought with all of her strength not to scream. She couldn't let Karis know she was frightened. When the demon took a step forward, she let out a small yelp, followed by an impressed sigh when Karis sent a burst of orange electricity towards the creature. The demon looked severely wounded, but the elctro-pyrokinetic bolt had not completely vanquished it. Laura took a gulp and prepared herself to use her second power. She had never used her molecular combustion on purpose before, as it usually only worked when she was angry, but now was as good a time as any to learn. She took a deep breath and steadied her hands, envisioning her aunt Piper. '_HAH!_' She thought, smirking to herself as the demon disappeared in a fiery end.

"See," Karis said, turning to face Laura, obviously not forgetting about the argument which had taken place before the demon had appeared. "I didn't run away! I didn't even scweam!"

Laura looked at her and shrugged, pretending she had not been frightened by the demon either. She was determined not to let this little girl show her up. "So, we gonna let dem back in yet?"

"I guess…" Karis looked skyward and a smile passed her lips, "The demon ain't here any more, so let dem back in and open de door!" She recited, but her face fell when the doors and windows remained bricked over. "We're trapped!" She screeched.

**xxxxx**

Outside, Paige took a defeated seat on the stairs outside the alternate reality Manor and ran her hand over MJ's dark hair, lost in thought as she gazed at the house across the street. They were stuck outside the Manor until Karis decided to break her spell and Paige was beginning to feel very out of place in the world so much like her own. Prue and Andy had arrived at almost the precise moment they had landed on the porch, bringing up too many mixed feelings for the youngest charmed one to deal with. Just seeing Prue walk around and interact with her daughter had choked Paige up. If only things could have been the same for Prue back home. When the alternate reality Phoebe had turned up, Paige had needed to give MJ a very quick and very brief explanation as to why she was not allowed to speak to her 'mother', and she had thanked the higher powers that Cole had not turned up too. That would have been too much for the already riled little demon/witch to handle. When Paige spotted a familiar green car pull into the driveway, she let out a sigh of relief. Hopefully, her 'twin' would manage to convince Karis to reverse her spell.

"What's going on?" The alternate Paige asked, stepping out of the car and spotting the entire family gathered on the lawn.

"Our daughters wanted to prove they could cope with a demon." Paige replied contemptuously, but worry for Laura also coursing through her veins. "So yours cast a spell to magically get us out of the house."

**xxxxx**

Back inside, the two four year olds had decided to take full advantage of the magical cloak over the Manor. Laura, rarely getting the opportunity to use her linguistic talents at home, had recited so many spells in the past fifteen minutes that it was unbelievable. So far, she had turned her glass of water into chocolate milkshake, shrunk her Uncle Leo's slippers so that she could fit them, and made the bathroom rug into cheese! Currently, both girls, who had become quite friendly after their feud had ended, were trying to come up with a spell that would annoy their Aunt Piper.

"I gots an idea!" Laura announced with a twinkle of mischief shining from her huge blue eyes, "To make Aunty Piper really mad, mess up the cupboards and the neatness they had!" (AN- spell written by Prince Halliwell)

"She's gonna be angry!" Karis said giving a giggle, very similar to the one Laura was giving.

"…I'm bored now." Laura sighed, hopping off the kitchen stool, suddenly overcome by the fact she missed her father.

"Me too." Karis agreed. She looked up, as if she were about to make a suggestion, but whatever she had been going to say turned into one loud, and very clear word. "DEMON!" The voice of the little girl rang out through the air, bringing an abrupt end to the cheerful fun and games of Karis and Laura. Standing a mere feet away, having just shimmered into the kitchen, was a sneering demon, whose hooked nose and narrowed eyes almost screamed 'evil'. He looked almost mortal, but both girls had been around magic for long enough to tell that this man was definitely not. He snarled at them and threw his right hand forward and emitted a glowing red laser, which only missed them by inches. They grasped each other's hands and, on instinct, orbed upstairs, hoping that the demon would not find them.

They rematerialised in, what in the real world was Prue's bedroom, and looked at each other in fear. "I fought your spell locked ev'rybody out?" Laura asked in panic, not knowing if she had the strength to use her molecular combustion again.

"Me too…" Karis looked fretfully into Laura's eyes and they came to a mutual conclusion, without even speaking. "But it mustn't work on demons." As the words left her lips, the demon shimmered in.

Laura gasped as she watched the demon raise his hands again. They began to glow and it seemed as though everything was moving in slow motion as two lasers sped towards the cowering forms of Laura and Karis. "No!" Laura yelped, stepping in front of her newfound friend, taking the brunt of both blasts, and flying across the room. Karis too, slumped to the floor and both girls lay motionless, their chests barely even rising.

**xxxxx**

On the porch, Paige's happy smile, as she watched MJ play with Grace and Patrice, abruptly faded. She clutched her chest and her breathing became short as tears began to form in her eyes.

"What is it?" The alternate Paige asked, noticing her counterpart's sudden panic.

"Laura," She choked, gasping for breath. "We need to get in there!" Paige's voice raised as her panic turned to frustration.

"But we can't," Andy stated. Paige tried to avoid eye contact with him.

"A demon is attacking them!" Paige yelled angrily. She had to save Laura.

"Demon?" Phoebe asked, looking to the sky, "That's it! Demons! They must be able to get in! I'll call Cole."

"There's not enough time!" Prue retorted, disappearing in a swirl of dark smoke. Paige was in too much pain to even take into account that her eldest alternate reality sister had used demonic powers, though; perhaps it was better that way.

After a few antagonising minutes of waiting for Prue to reappear, both Paiges let out identical sighs of relief. The bricks faded from the front of the windows and doors and they rushed into the Manor without so much as a nod.

"Laura!" Paige yelled, making her way up the stairs.

"Karis?" The other Paige screamed, hot on her counterpart's tail. "Prue?"

When they eventually found them, both Paiges wore a look of sheer terror. Prue was standing, face tearstained and eyes bloodshot, giving them both looks of great sympathy. "I was too late," She whispered, standing to the side.

"No!" The both cried. Paige sank to her knees and brought Laura's lifeless body close to her chest. Sobs wracked her body as she rocked slowly back and forth, not believing that Laura was dead. Apparently they were too far-gone for the other Paige's whitelighter powers to heal…

"I've got an idea." Paige suddenly gasped through her tears. She knew it was a long shot, but she clutched the other Paige's arm and the four dissolved in a cloud of white light.

Paige gasped in amazement when they arrived in the Elder's realm She had never even thought of orbing here before, but she knew the elders were more powerful than whitelighters. They were her only hope.

"What's going on here?" An elderly female elder questioned.

"Please heal them…" The alternate Paige sobbed, apparently more used to elders than the real Paige was.

"Oh lord, Paige!" Came a familiar voice as Sam ran over. Paige did a double take. Was her biological father an elder in this reality? "What happened?"

"There's not time for explanations!" The other Paige shot, glaring through puffy eyes.

As a golden glow began to emit from his palms, both Paiges waited anxiously, trembling in fear of losing their daughters. When nothing happened, Paige felt bile rise in her throat, but it disappeared as other elders circled the children, engulfing them in a golden glow until, slowly, their eyelids began to flutter.

"Mommy!" They both gasped, practically leaping into their respective mother's arms.

"Thank God!" Paige whispered, wrapping Laura in the most protective, motherly embrace she could manage in her panicked state. Her heart was pumping in her throat and tears were still spilling over her eyelids. "I thought I'd lost you again." Apparently, in any reality, Laura was a demon magnet.

"Again?" The other Paige asked, overhearing the touching reunion, as she hugged her own daughter tightly.

"I…uh…get hurt and sometimes sorta…die a lot." Laura explained reproachfully, knowing that this was a very touchy subject for her mother.

As the foursome orbed back to earth, her daughter's words lingered in Paige's mind. It was true. Laura had been close to death too many times to remember. The number of occasions when Paige had believed her daughter- or daughter's clone!- to be dead, was unbelievable.

**xxxxx**

±Real World±

Piper sighed in frustration as she thrust the scrying crystal onto the table and resisted the urge to blow something up. She, however, probably could not have blown something up if she had tried. The constant sound of distant voices in her head was beginning to drive her insane and at the same time, causing her powers to go askew. "Please let Mommy have some quiet baby," She said, placing a hand on her abdomen and, defeated, slouching against the dining room table.

"I had a second cousin who was telepathic, you know?" Came a cheerful voice- one which could only have belonged to one person.

"Grams?" Piper gasped, looking up and giving a toothy smile, "What are you doing here?"

"Well, can't a woman come and visit her granddaughters?" Penny replied, placing Rachael on the floor.

"Well…uh, no offence Grams, but…you're dead!"

"It doesn't mean I can't have a life!" Penny retorted with a wave of her hand. "Now how about a hug for your old grandmother, ey?"

Piper stepped forwards and gratefully leaned into the hug. Ever since she was a little girl, Grams' hugs had been able to comfort her, and even now, Piper felt a wave of calm wash over her.

"Rachy huggley too!" Rachael announced, squeezing into the middle of the hug and wrapping her arms around her favourite aunt's leg, wanting to help Piper feel better too.

"Oh goodness," Grams sighed happily. Stepping back and looking down at the cheeky, grinning face of her great granddaughter. "She's just like Phoebe was at that age- always the centre of attention."

"Well that doesn't bode well for her future!" Mark said cheekily, ducking to avoid his sister-in-law's playful swing, as he and Phoebe entered the room.

"Where's Charlotte?" Phoebe asked, knowing that she had left her in the dining room with Piper, Andy and Prue.

"Jason took the kids through to the living room to distract them with the TV." Piper replied, frustration still evident in her voice, "They may only be little, but their little brains contain more freaking noise than P3 on a Friday night!" Piper raised her voice and, at the same time, caused one of the dining room chairs to shatter, making Rachael jump back in shock. Apparently the effect of Grams' hug was not long lasting.

"Oh honey," Grams said, placing a calming hand on Piper's shoulder, "You should be relaxing, getting off your feet! Where's your husband? I need to have a word with him about this."

"He's with the elders Grams!" Piper replied in disbelief, "I'm not even one month along yet…oh god, that's a long time to be hearing thoughts…anyway, that's not the point! Paige, MJ and Laura are _missing_ and you want me to _relax_?"

"Well sweetie, they're clearly not dead, and if they'd been captured by demons then the elders would know. They'll probably just return of their own accord. Paige is a smart girl you know? She'll make sure they find their own way home."

"No offence Ms H, but how can you be so confident about this?" Mark asked, picking up Rachael and giving Penny a questioning look.

"Because I believe in my granddaughter. And so should you. She is your wife, after all."

"_I can't just sit hear and do nothing!" _Mark's thoughts rang in Piper's mind. She had thought the kids were bad, but now she was getting Mark's persistence and Phoebe's concern for MJ, along with Grams' over confidence and Rachael's inane babble. "For crying out loud people!" She yelled, "Can't you keep your thoughts a little quieter?"

"Honey, if it's bothering you that much, why don't you just make the twenty-four-hour telepathy blocking potion from the book?"

"There's a _potion?_" Piper scoffed. "If Paige ever gets back here I am kicking her ass! She was supposed to find one for me!"

"Well, why don't you go and lie down? I'll teach the kids how to make it. If I remember correctly from the summers I spent with Agatha then it was just your basic potion. Phoebe, can you write a tracking spell? And Mark, if it makes you feel better, go to the police station and see if Darwin had any information on Paige."

"You mean Darryl?"

"Yes…"

Sure enough, ten minutes later, everyone had followed Grams' orders. Piper, however reluctant, was now trying to rest upstairs and Phoebe had gone into the attic to get some peace and quiet to write her tracking spell. Jason had gone with Mark to see if Darryl had found anything mortal about the disappearance, and Leo had still not returned from the elders. Penelope sat at the head of the dining room table with her grandchildren and a huge smile formed on her face. It was happy moments like this that Penny longed for- one of the things she sorely missed when she was in heaven. Rachael sat with a mortar and pestol, enthusiastically grinding the mustard seed, but getting more on the table than grinding it. Her head moved up and down as she let out a cheerful chuckle and sneezed when the mustard powder caught on her breath. Beside the redhead, sat Charlotte who, at not even one, was not helping, but watching keenly and every so often stealing something from Prue. Prue, who was delighted at the prospect of using scissors, was chopping up thyme, eagerly asking her great grandmother questions about all things magical. Finally, Andy, although Grams had been reluctant to let a male near her potion, was mixing the cauldron very carefully, eager to impress Penelope if it was the last thing he did.

"Grams?" Prue asked, throwing more thyme into the pot, "Can you tell us a story?"

"What about, sweetheart?" A small smile spread across Penny's face.

"Woogy!" Charlotte squealed., slamming her hands on the table, "Woogy!"

"The woogy?" Grams asked, "Are you sure?"

"Plue getted va Woogy too Glams!" Andy said, looking up from the cauldron and smiling at his older sister.

"I know… I heard all about it. How about Prue tells us the story of when she vanquished the woogy?"

"Yeah!" Rachael's eyes lit up.

"…I can't tell stories!" Prue said bashfully, giving an embarrassed shrug.

"Prudence," Grams began, "You can do anything you set your heart to if you try. You're a Halliwell. You are capable of things beyond your wildest imagination."

"Me too?" Andy asked excitedly.

"Well…you are a _boy_…" She replied, not afraid of voicing her oppinions. "B-"

"What 'bout me Grams?" Rachael asked, interrupting her great grandmother, "I a Andason!"

"But the Halliwell blood runs in your veins my treasure."

"Me too!" Andy said quietly, looking at Penny through huge, puppy dog eyes.

"Of course you are Andrew." She told him, giving him an apologetic smile. No matter how much she disproved of men, there was no question that Andrew was going to be a tremendous witch. "I'm sorry for ever doubting you."

"S'okay dude!" He replied with a giggle, returning to the mixing of his cauldron. He had obviously been spending too much time with his Uncle Mark.

**xxxxx**

±Other World±

Everyone had returned to the Manor and Paige, Laura and MJ were preparing to leave, but in all the confusion of what had happened to Laura and Karis, MJ's mind had drifted from the fact they were not actually at home. "Mommy?" She asked the alternate Phoebe, forgetting completely about what her Aunt Paige had told her. "Can I have some basghetti?"

"Mommy?" The alternate Phoebe gasped. She suddenly looked very overwhelmed and her eyes brimmed with tears. Paige very rarely saw her own version of Phoebe break down and her heart reached out to her alternate reality sister. Imagining life without being able to have children truly was awful. Paige gave Laura's hand a loving squeeze and her thoughts turned to Rachael, but at the same time looked to Phoebe, whose eyes were transfixed on Melinda-Jayne. Paige found it difficult to imagine life without MJ- or Charlotte, or even Ben, but she had never imagined what the alternate Phoebe did next.

"Shush Baby," Piper's voice spoke, in an attempt to calm her crying baby, trying to break the uneasy silence in the simplest way possible.

"Did I do somfin wong?" Melinda Jayne asked cautiously.

"No Sweetie." Paige replied, giving her niece a weak smile, not wanting her to get worked up again.

"Wait a minute." The alternate Phoebe spat, causing everyone to avert their gaze to her, "So in your world, I have a daughter?" Her voice seemed to drip with sorrow and Paige found herself unable to lie.

"Two." She replied meekly, not meeting Phoebe's hurt stare.

"And den Daddy and Danni gots Benji!" MJ said, smiling at the thought of her little brother, not realising just how much hurt she was causing her alternate reality mother.

"What do you mean?" Phoebe addressed MJ, but it was clear that her question was aimed directly at Paige.

"Well…" The witch/whitelighter began. "In our world you and Cole split up after you got pregnant with Melinda-Jayne." Paige realised how hard this was going to be for Phoebe to take in, but everyone's gaze was settled on her and she did not like working under pressure, "Then he got with someone else and had a son called Benjamin, and you got with your boss, Jason and had a daughter called Charlotte." Before Paige could exhale the sigh she had been holding in, Phoebe spoke again.

"Why?" She whispered, her voice trembling, "Why can I have children in one world and not another?"

"A lot of things are different in our world to yours," Paige said, hoping to comfort the distressed woman, but also turning her thoughts to Mark and Rachel. She had to get home.

"So is she my Mommy?" MJ asked quietly, still not fully understanding. If this _was_ her mommy then she definitely needed a hug.

"Yeah." The alternate Phoebe said, causing Paige to choke on the water she had just sipped. "I'm your mommy." A small smile played at her lips and Paige was ready to lunge herself toward her, apparently psychotic, alternate reality sister.

"Can we go see Daddy?" MJ asked, knowing that it was the weekend she was supposed to stay with Cole, and looking forward to seeing her brother.

"Sure," Phoebe replied, picking her up before they shimmered out. Paige's eyes widened in terror. Melinda-Jayne had just been kidnapped by her own mother. The situation sounded amusing, but it could not have been more serious. The alternate Phoebe was clearly distressed and if she was anything like the real Phoebe, she was not going to give up easily. What was worse was that MJ was about to witness her parents together, and in love. Paige could only hope that her niece would not get her hopes up.

"Oh no." Prue sighed and Paige turned to see her lean, in defeat, onto the doorframe.

"What are we gonna do?" The alternate Paige asked. Coincidentally, Paige had been going to ask the same thing, but she knew it would have been met with the same answer.

"I have no idea." The alternate Piper sighed.

**xxxxx**

Melinda-Jayne sat happily colouring in pictures in the newspaper at her father's apartment. She was beginning to wonder where Danni and Ben were, but the thought abruptly left her mind when she watched her mother and father kiss. Her heart filled with happiness, but she blinked several times to make sure she was not seeing things. She wasn't. Phoebe and Cole had kissed. She noticed her father looked perplexed every time he laid eyes on her and she could not understand why, so she rose to her feet and climbed onto his knee. She pecked him on the nose and smiled widely. "My Mommy and Daddy togeva. She said, grabbing Phoebe's finger and making it poke Cole's cheek, causing them both to give a small laugh.

**xxxxx**

Paige let out an angry groan as she watched the alternate universe versions of her own family helplessly discuss ways of getting Melinda-Jayne back. She hugged Laura close to her and gave her a small kiss in the forehead. They were getting nowhere and Laura was beginning to get restless, clearly missing her father and sister. Paige had decided to exclude herself from the conversation so far, knowing that she did not know the alternate Phoebe well enough to know what would push her buttons, but she decided that she should probably give her contribution.

"Maybe we can just talk to her?" Andy was suggesting when Paige looked up.

"She won't listen." The alternate Piper stated. Well duh! This was Phoebe they were talking about!

"Maybe she'll listen to Cole?" Paige suggested, knowing that back home, Jason would be the one to get Phoebe to see the light. Perhaps in this reality, Cole would have the same effect? It was worth a shot.

**xxxxx**

Melinda-Jayne giggled happily as her mother and father pushed her on the swings. Evening was falling and they were the only three in the park and MJ had not been so happy in a long time. Her mother and father really were together. Now she would be just like Laura and Prue. Her mommy and daddy would be in love. The little demon/witch, however, was beginning to wonder if this was all just a dream.

"Mommy?" She asked as the swing began to slow down, "Daddy?" She continued, her face shining with hope, "Are you gonna be togeva foreva now?"

"Of course we are." The alternate Phoebe replied.

Paige orbed into Golden Gate Park just in time to hear the conversation that had taken place. She cursed under her breath and glared at her alternate reality sister. Paige, who had been feeling sorry for Phoebe until now, shot her a glare. Did she have any idea what this was going to do to MJ when she returned home? "You can't lie to her, Phoebe." Paige said firmly. MJ, Cole and Phoebe turned to face her. Paige knew she had to keep their attention for long enough for the plan to work so she gave Phoebe her best evil glower, though her eyes shifted occasionally to MJ's father. When the alternate Leo and Piper orbed in, freezing Cole, Paige moved forward, desperately hoping that she could keep Phoebe distracted. Piper and Leo silently orbed out with Cole and Paige, once again, moved toward MJ. Not long now. When her 'twin' appeared in a cloud of orbs and quickly used her glamouring power to turn into the man who had just been, for lack of a better term, kidnapped, Paige's defensive stance lowered. That power was a hell of a useful one to have. She looked to her niece, who was undoubtedly very confused, and smiled sympathetically.

"Leave us alone." Phoebe finally said, her hand moving to MJ's shoulder. She looked quite shocked when Paige actually orbed out.

MJ's eyes narrowed in bewilderment. Why did her Aunt Paige look so mad? Had she done something wrong? And why had her mother been so mean? She turned to look at Phoebe, who was smirking at Cole happily.

"I thought she'd put up more of a fight." She mused.

"Maybe she was right," Cole said- or at least who Phoebe and MJ believed to be Cole.

"What?" MJ looked at her mother's shocked expression and shook her head violently, hoping that things would make sense if she did.

"I'm saying that we are lying to MJ. She needs to be with her parents. And no matter how much we talk like them, walk like them, look like them, we're not them!"

"I can't believe you're saying this!" The alternate Phoebe exclaimed, scooping MJ into her arms. MJ saw how suddenly upset her mother was and met her eyes. Something was different about them, but she wasn't going to question it. When Phoebe told her to take them to the mausoleum, MJ obeyed instantly, hoping it would make her mother cheer up.

**xxxxx**

±Real World±

Penny beamed at the smiling faces of her entire family- except Paige, Laura and MJ, of course- and even gave Cole a grin. She had no doubt that the three who were missing would return soon, and, unfortunately, it was time for her to return to her rightful place in heaven. She had said her goodbyes to Phoebe and Piper, but the grandchildren, it appeared, all had the Halliwell stubbornness- something Grams was all too familiar with.

"Peas don't go Gams…" Rachael begged, tugging on the sleeve of her great grandmother's red dress.

"Yeah, stay!" Prue agreed, "Please?"

"My darlings," Grams said, trying not to cry. Nobody had seen her do it in life and she was certainly not going to let people see her cry in death. "I'll be back to visit any time you need me, okay?"

"But who will tell us stolies?" Andy asked with a frown. Despite his great grandmother's slight reluctance to speak to him earlier, he had taken quite a shine to the elderly woman's magical stories.

"Soon, you'll have your own stories to tell, my little Prince."

"Plince Halliwell?" He asked, his eyes lighting up at the thought of a new nickname. (AN- Haha, sorry Liam! It's my return for the middle name:D) "See you soon?"

"Of course you will." Grams replied. "Goodbye my treasures."

"Bye!" The kids, including Charlotte chorused as lights began to envelope Penny.

"Blessed be."

"Blessed be." Rang out through the attic. Now their only problem was finding Paige, Laura and MJ.

**xxxxx**

±Alternate Universe±

Back at the alternate universe Manor, Paige was suffering an antagonising wait for her niece. Even with all the demons they had encountered and evils they had fought, Paige had never been so worried for her niece in her life. She saw how upset MJ had gotten before about baby Charlotte, and that had only been a minor upset. The youngest Charmed one was not sure how Melinda-Jayne's demonic genes were going to handle her parents.

"I can't believe you're going to trick her." Cole was saying angrily as he and Prue entered the room, apparently unfrozen.

"We're not tricking her." Prue replied, "We're getting her to return what isn't truly hers."

"It doesn't matter what you call it." A voice came from the ceiling as a cloud of orbs formed another Cole, who quickly turned into the alternate Paige. "She's beyond convincing."

"Where is she?" Leo asked but the alternate Paige just shrugged.

"She got Melinda-Jayne to shimmer them somewhere."

"Let's scry for her." Paige said, unable to sit back and wait any longer. She needed to get her niece back and she needed to get home.

Everyone gathered in the dining room as Paige swung the crystal over the top of the map. She had insisted upon scrying, saying that she was the closest thing to MJ they had, but not even Paige could get the crystal to drop. It was useless.

"She's shimmered them somewhere we can't find them." The alternate Piper stated and realisation suddenly hit Paige. She wracked her memory for the night, a year and a half ago, when Phoebe had announced her pregnancy. MJ, then, had shimmered herself somewhere magically protected, but where? Cole answered for her.

"The mausoleum." He said, "It's immune to tracking."

"Okay, so we know where they are, but we don't know how to help her." Paige said, coming to the conclusion that this would be a _lot_ easier if she actually knew this version of Phoebe.

"I've got an idea." The other Paige said suddenly. "It involves our handy whitelighter powers again…"

**xxxxx**

MJ lay sleepily on her 'mother's' chest and listened to Phoebe's melancholy whispers. "I can't let you go, I just can't." She was saying, over and over. It didn't make any sense to the three year old. Why would her mother ever let her go? The sound of footsteps brought both Melinda-Jayne and Phoebe out of their thoughts and when the demon/witch saw who was there her face became a wash of sheer perplexity.

"Who are you?" The Phoebe MJ was sitting with asked.

"Her mother." Replied the other- glamouring really was a useful power to have.

"No you're not." The first Phoebe replied, anger and sorrow radiating from her. "I am."

"No, you're not. And the only person you're convincing is yourself. It's time to let go and move on." MJ looked up, startled when the Phoebe she was sitting with began to cry. The other Phoebe sounded almost like her Aunt Paige, but she certainly looked more like her mother than the person she had been spending her day with.

"Go back to the Manor." The Phoebe who was standing whispered. Luckily, as MJ shimmered out, she did not witness as the second Phoebe morphed into the blonde Paige.

**xxxxx**

Paige's heart filled with relief as her niece shimmered onto the couch beside her. She pulled Melinda-Jayne into a tight hug, but MJ resisted and quickly shuffled up the sofa.

"What's the matter?" Paige asked, hoping something had not happened.

"M…mommy's goed crazy…" MJ sniffed, wiping her face with her sleeve. "Two mommies…"

"Sweetie, they weren't really your Mommy." Paige replied. She had no idea what MJ had witnessed between Phoebe and Cole, so telling her the truth seemed like the best thing to do, in the hopes that she would understand her mother and father weren't really together.

"Th…they weren't?" MJ asked, giving her Aunt a questioning gaze. "…can we go home now?"

"Sure sweetie."

**xxxxx**

Paige, Laura and MJ appeared in an array of white lights in the Manor's kitchen, each exhausted from the very eventful and overwhelming day they had just had. Paige looked to the doorway and a huge grin formed on her face. She had never been so grateful to see Mark and Rachael in her life. As the Andersons shared a well-needed family hug, tears glistened in all of their eyes. It was odd how only one day apart- one day of worry and angst- had affected them.

"Where were you?" Mark questioned, his body shaking in relief as he scooped his daughters from the floor. "I was so worried!"

"It's a long story." Paige replied with a sigh. "You won't believe me if I tell you." Explaining the day's events was not going to be fun.

"Oh God!" Piper's voice cut through the reunion, "You're back! -Phoebe! Cole!"

Melinda-Jayne was slightly confused as to why the Andersons were so emotional, but when she saw her mother and father enter the room together, all confusion left her mind. Phoebe in the other world had promised that she and Cole would be together forever, maybe they actually would. But that would mean no Charlotte or Benjamin. When Danielle and Jason entered the room behind MJ's parents MJ was torn between crying and smiling. Four pairs of arms enveloped her in loving and relief filled cuddles, but she returned none of them. They all pulled away and smiled at her, but she didn't want to be near any of them.

"Tarlie!" She called, making a dash towards the door in search of her siblings, "Benji!"

"What happened?" Phoebe asked her younger sister with a frown.

"Well…"

**xxxxx**

That night, after she had spent a long time explaining the day's events to her family, Paige sat at home in bed, admiring the family portrait she had recently hung on the bedroom wall. Rachael and Laura's smiling faces grinned back at her from within the picture frame and the youngest charmed one was washed over with an indescribable joy. She had felt too many emotions in the space of one hour to even count, but the alternate Paige had been correct when she had said that children were the best thing that ever happened to her, even if she hadn't been ready for them at the time. Seeing how hurt the alternate Phoebe had been because she could not have the child she longed for had allowed Paige to realise just how lucky she was.

"Are you still up, sweetheart?" Mark asked, as he emerged from the bathroom wearing only his underwear. "I thought you said you were knackered?"

"I was… but I don't really feel like sleeping any more…" She replied with an innocent, but strangely guilty smirk.

"Oh really?" He asked, crawling onto the bed, next to her, "Whatever are you implying Mrs Anderson?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" She said lustfully, rising to her knees so that they were making eye contact and placing her hands on the small of his back.

"Indeed I would, my darling." He answered, licking his lips in a playful manner, "But unfortunately I don't possess the gift of telepathy, so I don't know _what_ you're thinking…"

"Oh, I think you do." Paige's seductive grin widened as she pushed her husband back onto the mattress, "I," She began, planting a kiss on his bare chest, "Was thinking," She gave him another kiss, but this time on the base of his neck, "How lucky," His cheek, "I am," His lips, "To have you." Paige's heart fluttered as she gave him yet another kiss on the lips, but this one was lingering and so full of love that you could almost smell it.

"I love you." Mark whispered as he let out a soft moan of pleasure.

"I love you too." Paige replied. She lowered herself onto his almost bare body and this time, made the kiss a lot more passionate. Mark's hands rose to her chest and he slowly lifted off her nightshirt. Perhaps it was finally time for Paige to give Mark the third child he so often talked about wanting…

AN- Foreshadowing is my forte…. I thought I'd better cut it off there or I'd have to change he fic rating :P Once again, I'm so sorry for the wait, but I'm afraid my exams don't finish until the end of May so I won't be able to update regularly again until June. But please bear with me! Don't forget to review…please?

**Next chapter-** Decron's plan is underway. The truth about 'The Third Child' is finally revealed. Will all of the Andersons make it out alive? **Warning**- next chapter may contain character death (depending on if I split it or not). Tissues at the ready peeps!


	24. To Lose one is to gain Another

hanks for the reviews! I'm in a celebratory mood (aren't I Jess? Lol!) because Charmed has been renewed and Sunday was my birthday:D But I feel you will all hate me. All of you… hides

Prince Halliwell- I'm glad you liked the nickname! And yeh, my updating will be wonky! Thanks for the review!

Cherry7up- Thanks for the review!

Money makes me smile- I understood the French:D …unlike that stoopid translator! High on a hill goat's milk cheese shepherd is only one! LMFAO. Thanks for the review!

Charmed1s-halliwells- Thanks for the review.

Rebanana- Thanks! That review was spectacular! Lol! If Mark were on the show, I'd be happy too! But then I'd sue them for plagiarism and make lots and lots of money! Muahaha!

.elemenbabe.- Thanks for the review!

Moonfirefairy- Thanks for the review and I PROMISE I will catch up on your fics when my exams are over! Lol!

Peanut2lb- That's not all we're going to see of Grams' bias towards Andy! Thanks for the review!

RJF- I'm a genius? If only they'd have told me that before I sat my exams… thanks for the review!

Pangea- Thanks for the review! New reviewers are always awesome! And you really think Mark is better than anyone else? Wow!

Powerof4- Yes, any excuse to make Phoebe miserable, I will use! And my flying monkeys will only ever work for me…thank god…

BlueOrbs998- You rock too dude! We never did start that 'we rock' club, did we? Lol! I think you were the only person to pick up on the hints I've been dropping throughout the entire story as to who will die. And yes, all will be revealed about the third child in this chapter. Enjoy!

Right, this may be a little rated R because of language and violence.

**Chapter24- To Lose One is to Gain Another.**

When Paige was awakened by the sound of an innocent giggle on the morning of January second 2008, she could never have comprehended the day that was to come. She groggily swept her dark hair from her porcelain face and sighed with a happy smile. Instead of coming face to face with her husband like she usually did, she found herself staring into the gorgeous blue eyes of her youngest daughter. The two-year-old redhead had obviously crept into the bed during the night again, but this time her sister had followed. Laura was lying across Mark's chest, giggling as he tickled her. Paige was not, and would never be, a morning person, but at this moment she could not have been happier.

Placing a hand on her abdomen, she sighed contently, knowing now would be when she was going to tell them. "This is nice." She said, sitting up and lifting Rachael onto her knee.

"What is sweetheart?" Mark asked with his crooked smile. It still melted Paige's heart.

"All of us being here…" A grin spread across her face as her eyes met her husband's. "…all five of us." Once again, her hands slid onto her abdomen and she smiled slyly.

"Yeah, it is- Woah, wait! Five?" His face lit up like a small child's at Christmas as a look of realisation washed over him.

"Mommy, you silly Billy!" Laura giggled, "One, three, two, four!" She counted, pointing at each person in turn.

"Silly Billy!" Rachael mimicked, holding up four fingers on her left hand.

"Well, soon there's going to be five." Paige told her daughters. "Mommy's gonna have a baby."

**xxxxx**

The underground cave remained in a tense silence as the large, cloaked demon's thoughts tumbled around his head. His charcoal black face deepened with a look of worry and he closed his one eye in frustration. It was already two days past the New Year and Decron had not yet prevented the existence of the third child. Without the assistance of his seer, it was hard to tell when his plan could be put into action, but he knew he would have to act soon. Decron could only hope that he was not too late.

Morphing back into his pathetic human form, he fiercely thrust a fireball at the cave wall. A low rumble echoed through the underground cavern and large clumps of rock fell from the ceiling. Decron smirked. If he could do that to an underground cave with only one fireball, killing the Nauctater and his wife would be a piece of cake.

**xxxxx**

The Andersons pulled up in front of the Manor and as soon as they stepped out of the car, were met by a very excited Prue, Andy and Melinda-Jayne who, apparently, had been playing outside. Leo, who was sitting n the porch and was clearly supervising, smiled and gave them a wave.

"Guess what Uncle Mark?" Prue asked excitedly, levitating into his arms the way she always did when she greeted her favourite Uncle.

"What?" He asked, grinning at the look of disapproval on Leo's face when Prue had used her powers.

"I getted two dollars from the tooth fairy!" She gave him a wide smile; showing where her two front teeth had been and mark gave her a smile in return. He could not wait to play tooth fairy with Laura, Rachael and his third child. There were so many things to look forward to. He averted his eyes to Paige so he could give her a knowing smile, but apparently she had not been paying attention to the conversation at all. Paige's face wore a very sullen expression and her eyes were narrowed in disgust. Mark followed her gaze to the garden across the street and immediately knew why she looked so frustrated. Paul McFarland was standing in the garden, mowing the lawn at snails pace, as always, wearing his oversized sunglasses. When he gave them a wave, Mark could almost see Paige's blood boil as she gave Paul a _very _forced smile.

"Creep…" She muttered.

"Who is?" MJ asked curiously.

"Oh, no one sweetie." Paige replied. "Girls, go inside and say hello to your Aunties, okay?"

"But I is wantin' to pay, Mommy…" Rachael pouted her lip and batted her long eyelashes with a pleading look in her huge blue eyes. Paige groaned. She wished they wouldn't give her that look.

"Okay," She sighed, "But if Uncle Leo tells me you've used your powers I'm gonna take them away, okay?" She hid her smirk with her hand as looks of terror washed over her daughters' faces. That was one threat that would always work.

"Yes Mommy!" Laura replied, before turning to Andy with a cheeky smile, "Tag, you're it!"

**xxxxx**

Paul smirked as he watched Paige and Mark enter the Manor. This would be the perfect opportunity to strike. If he could somehow get the whitelighter out of the way, the Anderson brats would be left unprotected and, finally, Decron would triumph. He turned off the useless human grass-cutting contraption and dashed inside. He was going to have to work fast.

He reached the shabby, grotty and foul smelling kitchen and quickly drew the curtains. "Amazong." He snarled, snapping his fingers. In a purple flare, a short and scrawny warlock appeared. As soon as he saw who summoned him, he kneeled, bowing his pointed and pale head so that his mass of greasy blonde hair fell over his shocking green eyes. "Gather a few of your best men." Paul ordered. "I need you to attack the eldest Charmed One."

"Yes master."

**xxxxx**

Paige found her sisters in the kitchen preparing the traditional 'first Sunday of every month family meal night' pot roast. The youngest Charmed One's hand had rarely left her stomach since that morning, but they had decided not to tell the others until they had eaten. She sighed contently, making her sisters turn to face her, realising that she had entered the room.

"You're here!" Phoebe stated happily.

"Clearly!" Paige replied with a roll of her eyes.

"Well someone looks happy." Piper observed, noticing that her youngest sister was almost glowing with exuberance.

"I am." Paige replied, "How 'bout you guys?"

"Let me tell you something. Grams' twenty-four hour telepathy blocking potion is a god sent miracle!" Piper said cheerfully.

"So you keep telling us honey," Paige replied, suddenly wondering what powers her baby was going to have, "Phoebs?"

"Same old." Phoebe told her, "Charlotte's had the flu all week and Jason's flying out to Hong Kong for a fortnight on Tuesday. So either I'm gonna have to take Charlie to work, or work from home and that's gonna look _really_ good when my article about how young mothers can still have lives gets published!"

"Phoebs?" Piper said with a false smile, "Shut up." Both of Phoebe's sisters stifled their laughter with coughs, and turned away.

"Do you have any cucumber?" Paige asked, eying the fridge in hope. God, these pregnancy cravings were weird!

"Cucumber?" Piper questioned curiously, "Usually when you come here you eat me out of candy and cakes, are you on a diet or something?"

"…or something." Paige smiled cryptically, but Piper just rolled her eyes. Nobody had any time to react when two warlocks appeared; separating the youngest charmed one from her sisters. "Look out!" Paige yelped as one of the scrawny, undernourished warlocks in oversized green coats aimed a fireball directly towards Piper.

Piper jumped in surprise and rose her hands, but before she could even attempt to freeze the fiery sphere, a shield of orbs emitted from her stomach, protecting the two older charmed ones from the attack. "Good baby." Piper quipped, rubbing her stomach with one hand, whilst flicking the other toward the warlocks and vanquishing them in a blazing demise. The charmed ones were too preoccupied by the baby's incredible display of power to notice that two more of the spindly warlocks had appeared behind Piper and Phoebe. It wasn't until Piper collapsed to the ground with a gasp of pain that any of them sensed anything.

"Piper!" Phoebe gasped, dropping to her knees and pulling the athame out of her sister's lower back, fear washing over her.

"That was _not_ a good idea!" Paige snarled, preparing to call for a knife or some sort of pain inflicting object. She stumbled backwards a few steps when the dishtowel, which she had been holding, erupted in flames. Had the baby done that?

"Oh, but master will be pleased." The first warlock- a very short and unnaturally slim creature with a pointed, rat like face- growled with a smirk.

"Well your master can stick 'pleased' up his arse!" Came Mark's voice from the doorway. He made to shoot electricity towards the scrawny evil creatures, but he stopped and arched his brow. He had definitely seen these warlocks, or ones very like them, before. He made a mental note to check the book and continued with his attack, killing them instantly, sending their viscous, yellow blood all over the kitchen. He turned his attention to the flaming towel and gave Paige a curious stare. 'Baby?' he mouthed. Paige nodded. If Piper had not been injured, Mark would have grinned widely. It seemed the baby had inherited its Uncle Doug's fire starting ability.

"Leo!" Phoebe's voice cut through the Nauctater's chain of thought. "Get in here, _now_!"

**xxxxx**

Leo watched with a smile as the kids turned their game of tag into catch, with Andy's new red soccer ball. He couldn't believe how much Laura and Prue had grown up since, what seemed like an age ago when they had been turning each other into cats and sharing a room in the Manor. Of course, the other kids had grown too, but watching Laura and Prue take care of their younger siblings and cousins made Leo feel very proud.

When Andy began to cry, Leo was jerked from his happy thoughts. He looked up to see his son glaring at Rachael through tears, and he got to his feet to go and sort out whatever squabble was taking place.

"You losted my bawl…" Andy said, wiping his eyes with his red jacket sleeve.

"I's sowry Andy…" Rachael replied slowly, eying the garden across the street where the red ball had landed. "I'll gets it fo' you." She let go of Laura's hand and turned to the stairs, but before she could run across the street, Leo's voice stopped her.

"Rachael!" He called, seconds before she stepped onto the road, "You know not to cross the road by yourself sweetie."

"But da ball…"

"I'll get it for you, stay here."

"Fanks Uncle Leo." She said, giving an embarrassed shrug.

"That's okay sweetie, just don't run off like that again." Leo watched the redhead toddle back up the stairs before turning to the road. He looked to the garden of Paul McFarland and narrowed his eyes curiously. How had Rachael, a petite two year old, had the force to throw the ball all the way across the street? At the risk of sounding like Paige, that was definitely rather suspicious. Paul was nowhere to be seen, but that didn't stop the odd sceptical feeling in his stomach. He stepped onto the road and began walking towards the stranger's garden, but before he could even get halfway there, a searing pain in his back stopped him. "Piper!" He gasped, orbing out without hesitation.

At the top of the stairs, Prue looked to Andy in panic. "Mommy?" She gasped in an almost identical manner to her father. She grabbed her brothers hand and orbed them both inside, leaving Laura, Rachael and Melinda-Jayne alone in the garden

**xxxxx**

Leo orbed into the kitchen to find everyone crowded around a heavily bleeding Piper. His heart began to race as panic welled up inside him. The wound in her lower back was bad. Very bad. Her greet top was covered in thick blood, which was slowly seeping over the floor, and although her eyes were open and she appeared to be awake, Leo had never been more worried. Not only Piper was in danger, but his unborn daughter. "Move!" He spat, pushing Phoebe to the side and lowering to his knees. Hurriedly, he placed his hands over the wound and waited for a golden glow to emit from his palms. He breathed a long sigh of relief when it came, and within minutes, Piper was on her feet, wrapped in her husband's arms. "Are you alright?" He asked her.

"I'm fine." She replied with a thankful smile, "So's the baby."

"Mommy?" Came Andy's worried vice from where he and Prue had orbed in. "Is you okay?"

"I'm fine my little Prince." She picked him up and planted a motherly kiss on his forehead. "See?"

"What happened?" Prue asked. She knew her father had been worried, but her mother looked okay.

"Some demons attacked us Sweetie. Nothing for you to worry about."

"Actually," Mark interjected with a perplexed look on his face. "They were warlocks."

"What?" Paige asked, turning to face her husband. "But they didn't blink?"

" No, they flared… I know I've seen them somewhere before…" He closed his eyes in thought, trying with all his might to remember where he had seen those warlocks. He opened them in defeat and looked to the Charmed Ones. Paige was eying the towel the baby had apparently set on fire in curiosity, Piper was still assuring her son that she had not been badly injured and Phoebe was bouncing a restless Charlotte on her hip…Charlotte… That was it! That was where he had seen the warlocks before! The night Charlotte was born!

_Flashback- December14th 2006_

_He rounded the next corner almost too quickly and only just stopped in time. Mark was torn between being amused at the warlocks' odd appearance, or shocked at the fact Paige's paranoia would have been correct- they were standing outside Phoebe and Jason's house. Standing in the huge garden, under the shade of a large beech tree, was the most unlikely group of warlocks you could imagine. The leader, a scrawny man with slicked back, greasy, blond hair, wearing an emerald green cloak which trailed on the ground due to his stunted growth, was standing in front of his four companions. They were dressed similarly to their superior, each looked as undernourished as the next and their abnormally large, shifty, yellow eyes were darting around as if following a small insect in flight. Mark had been looking forward to this all day, but it was beginning to seem a bit anti-climactic. **Boyzone go bad? This will be much too easy!**_

Yes, that was definitely where Mark had seen those warlocks. But the vanquish had been so simple that he had forgotten all about it until now. Why would they be coming back? Had they even had a purpose for being there? He wracked his memory for anything significant, and when he remembered, it hit him like a ton of bricks. How the hell could he not have remembered this?

_Flashback- December14th 2006_

"_We vowed not to betray our master." The leader- Garton- hissed. A grotesque, green liquid spat from his pale, narrow lips and as a spark hit Mark's arm, the nauctater had to bite his lip to stop him from wincing in pain. He could feel it eating at his skin, but had never liked to show he was in pain. At least he knew what these pathetic warlocks were capable of now. He took a step back and shock washed through him as Garton's acid vanquished the fellow warlock._

"_I see sibling rivalry isn't just a Haliwell trait…" Mark mused, "Are you going to tell me or not?" Mark stood at six foot four and compared to the two small and spindly warlocks, was very intimidating. He threw his arm into the air and shot a huge bolt of electricity into the clouded night sky, lighting his face in a very ominous manner._

"_Our master…" The remaining follower spluttered, "His name is D…D…De…Decr-"_

"_Silence you fool!" Garton snapped, vanquishing another of his brothers, leaving Mark very frustrated._

_**Decr? … Decron? …it couldn't be… could it? Decron is dead. Stop being paranoid.**_

_Mark brushed the thoughts of Decron to the back of his mind and rage began to bubble in his stomach. This warlock had just vanquished two of his own brothers and yet, he was smiling. It made Mark sick. This creature had no soul. He did not deserve to live._

"Decron." Mark said. Everyone sharply turned their gaze to him. Ever since the night Rachael had been born and Barbus had vanquished Decron, nobody dared utter his name around Paige. Why would Mark be mentioning it now? And what relevance did it have to the scrawny warlocks that had just attacked?

"What?" Paige snapped, turning her attention from the blackened towel to her panic stricken husband.

"It has to be." Mark whispered. He turned to Paige and looked her directly in the eyes. What he was going to say was going to either sound ridiculous, or cause Paige to have a mental breakdown, but Mark was convinced he was right. "Paige," He began. Everyone's eyes were glued on him and each person in the room looked confused. "It's him. It's Decron." Mark's face was filled with a sorrowful realisation. Every time Paige had been pregnant, Decron had done something to put her baby's life at risk. He didn't care that this warlock attack did not fit with Decron's usual way of attacking. He did not care that Barbus had supposedly killed him two and a half years ago. Something inside him just knew it was him. Decron was back. And remembering the warlock's words from before only confirmed it. Mark did not give Paige time to react. He suddenly looked to his whitelighter friend and choked in horror. "Leo!" Mark gasped through the awkward silence, his blue eyes filling with panic. "Where are the girls?"

**xxxxx**

Paul McFarland let a satisfied smirk pass across his lips as he watched the Halliwell-Wyatts orb out. And not a minute too soon. The whitelighter had almost retrieved that ball from Paul's garden. Of course, when he had summoned it to himself he had been bargaining on his minions doing their job slightly quicker, but nevertheless, Laura and Rachael were left alone in the garden. There was still the half demon child, but she could be easily dealt with. This was the time to make his move. Decron was finally going to fulfil his destiny.

The three girls were conversing at the top of the steps when he exited the house. They looked like they were about to head inside. He needed to act fast. He made sure they weren't looking and waved his hand in the direction of the ball, causing it to appear in his hand, like it had appeared in his garden before. And then he began jogging down the stairs. With every step he took his smile widened. This would be like taking candy from a baby.

"Excuse me?" He snarled. The redhead began to visibly shake, but her older sister stepped protectively in front of the two younger girls. "Is this your ball?"

"It's our cousin's." Laura replied confidently, stretching her arms forward in an attempt to grab it.

"Ah, ah, ah." Paul crooned, wagging his finger and narrowing his eyes behind his oversized sunglasses. "Didn't your parents ever teach you about manners?"

"Sorry." MJ said. Not being part whitelighter, she was unable to sense the tremendous evil radiating from Paul McFarland. She stepped out from behind Laura and smiled at him. "Pwease can we get Andy's ball back?"

"But how do I know it's yours?" Paul asked. This demonic witch was tremendously irritating.

"Acause we lost it!" MJ said defensively, angry that this man would not believe her.

"Well that won't be all you're losing." Paul's voice turned deep and he thrust his hand forward angrily, grabbing Melinda-Jayne around the throat.

Laura watched in horror as the man her mother had been so convinced was evil attacked her little cousin. She felt ice spark from Rachael's fingertips but the redhead was too frightened to move. MJ appeared to be short of breath and her vigorous kicking was becoming less forceful with every passing second. She raised her hands in an attempt to freeze the man, but it did not work and her panic was getting the better of her.

"Leave MJ alone!" She screeched venomously, raising her hands into a fighting position.

"As you wish." Paul snarled, causing Laura to flinch. She had heard that voice before. It was most definitely demonic. Her jaw dropped as he flung MJ's body through the air and hurled a fireball directly at her. She landed limply on the ground and the Anderson girls' eyes welled up with frightened tears. When Decron turned to she and her sister, Rachael let out a blood-curling scream and Laura froze in fear. Paul McFarland was growing. His skin was turning a dark shade and his teeth were becoming pointed. Laura had seen this demon before. She also knew that he was supposed to be dead. "You're coming with me." He roared. Before Laura had time to react and orb she and her sister out, Decron's large hand silenced both Anderson girls. All that remained where they had been standing was the echo of Decron's ominous laugh.

**Xxxxx**

Nobody understood what Mark was saying or why he suddenly believed Decron was behind the attack, but they all hurriedly followed him from the house. He pushed the manor door open with such force that the glass pane almost shattered, but the nauctater did not even turn to see what damage he had caused. He had to find his daughters.

His eyes scanned the garden, the street and the surrounding houses but Laura and Rachael were nowhere to be seen. However, his eyes came to rest on something equally as horrifying. Something that made his whole body tense, awaiting a scream from his sister-in-law. Lying lifeless and horribly blooded in the corner of the garden was his niece. MJ's paling face showed a tremendous fright and her lime green pinafore was soaked through with her blood.

"MJ!" Phoebe gasped, running towards her eldest daughter, everything Mark had just said about Decron washing from her mind as panic engulfed her.

Everyone but Mark and Paige had dashed to MJ's side. They remained rooted to the path they were standing on, blocking out Charlotte's horrified cries, blocking out Phoebe's panic filled sobs, blocking out everything but themselves. They remained in a frantic search for their own daughters and with every passing second, hope fled their hearts.

"Pixie!" Paige screamed, her voice beginning to tremble. "Snowflake!" There was no answer. Paige could not even sense them any more. The girls were gone.

Leo placed his hands over MJ and awaited his ever-familiar golden glow. When it did not come he choked and turned to face Phoebe, who had tears streaming down her face.

"Why isn't it working Leo?" She snapped. MJ still had a pulse. She had felt it!

"I…I don't know…" Leo stammered. "She's still alive…"

"Then what the hell is wrong with your powers?" Phoebe roared as more tears fell down her cheeks. She clutched her daughter's body in her arms and planted a kiss on Melinda-Jayne's forehead. "Don't worry baby, you'll be okay." She soothed. "Try again Leo."

"It won't work." Came Mark's sullen voice. They turned to see the six foot four Scotsman still standing in the path, cradling a sobbing Paige in his arms. He too had tears in his eyes, but he appeared to be scowling at something. At the questioning gaze he received from every person on the grass, Mark continued. "Decron knows how we work by now." He said. His voice was toneless and hollow. "He knows we'll try and heal her. He'll have cursed his magic so that it can only be reversed when he's dead. I've seen demons do it all the time."

"Mark." Piper shot, "Decron _is_ _dead_!"

"No, he's not! Don't ask me how, he just isn't!"

"What?" It was Jason who spoke this time. "You're saying that the only way to heal MJ is for you to kill that demon? The one we thought died two years ago?"

"Not necessarily." Mark replied. Paige was still trembling in his arms, refusing to face her family. "Most curses are easily removed with a potion…"

"But we're going to kill him anyway." When Paige did turn to face her family, her face was reddened from tears, but it still showed sheer determination. "I'm going to get my daughters back."

**xxxxx**

Just minutes later, Piper, Paige, Mark and Leo gathered in the attic. Phoebe had remained downstairs with Jason to watch the kids and to begin mixing the curse-removing potion for MJ. Paige was still visibly shaking as she walked over to the Book of Shadows, but both Piper and Mark placed comforting hands on her shoulders.

"How can he be back?" She whispered slowly, turning to look her husband directly in the eyes.

"Maybe he was never vanquished." Mark replied, pulling her close. "We will find him and this time we'll make sure he's vanquished for good." As the words left his lips, the flipping of pages caught the four in the attic's attention. The Book of Shadows, as it had done on so many other occasions, was flipping by itself.

"Grams?" Piper said, turning her head upwards, "We have enough on our plates already! We don't need any more de…" She didn't finish her sentence when she saw what page the Book had landed on. "_Decron?_" She read from the title. All the information that had ever resided about him in the book was a title and still, that was all that she could see.

"I _told _you!" Mark said, his panic for his daughters rising as his suspicions of Decron were confirmed. He noticed that Paige had visibly paled and was about to speak when she turned to face Piper.

"If Grams had known he was alive, wouldn't she have told us before?"

"Who said it was Grams?" A cold, sinister voice echoed through the air. Paige froze. A chill travelled straight down her spine and it took all of her strength not to collapse as a man appeared in the corner of the attic. The man she had known was evil. The man she had tried to convince her sisters was evil on so many occasions. Paul McFarland had just flamed into the room. This whole situation was too much for the youngest Charmed One to handle. Decron was back, Paul McFarland had just used an upper level demonic power, and her girls were missing…maybe even dead.

"What the _hell?_" Piper yelped, stumbling backwards. "How did you-?"

"How did I flame?" Paul snarled, moving his hand towards his glasses, "Clearly you're not as clever as you seem, _witch!_"

"You're a demon?" Leo gasped.

"Well done, whitelighter. How observant." Paul paced forward and headed straight towards Paige, slowly removing his glasses from his face. When Paige saw what lurked behind them, everything in her mind clicked. Paul McFarland's one eye almost glowed yellow and where the second eye should have been there resided a huge, disfiguring scar, which looked as though someone had gouged Paul McFarland's eye out with a knife…or even an athame. Just like she had done to Decron's eye at her wedding… This was not Paul McFarland. This was Decron.

Her heart rose into her throat and her knees turned to jelly. Tears of frustration, panic, worry and shock prickled the corners of her eyes, but she knew she could not let Decron see she was weak. She had been so sure that Barbus had killed him the night Rachael had been born. She had done nothing to make sure it was true. If anything happened to her girls, it would be all her fault…

"Where the _hell_ are my daughters?" She yelled, lunging towards him and attempting to push him to the ground.

"Well you just answered your own question, half-breed." He replied maliciously. His form began to change as he grew. His scrawny physique broadened and his height increased massively. At the same time his pale skin began to blacken and his teeth grew yellow and pointed. The sight of this demon struck fear into Paige's heart. The one demon she had ever truly been scared of was back, standing mere feet away from her. It was an effort to open her mouth and make a noise, but as Mark grabbed her hand, she found her words.

"You bring them back here _right now!_"

"Now, why would I do that?" He snarled, "Of course, I could…" He snapped his fingers and the girls appeared in his arms. Both were unconscious and terribly bruised, but Paige and Mark could see the slow movement of their chests. Although they now had a small glimmer of hope, their fear was also growing. With just one wrong move, Laura and Rachael could be dead. "…but that will mean you giving up your powers…"

Piper and Leo's panic stricken eyes met Paige and Mark's sorrow filled ones. Decron had just proposed that Paige and Mark gave up their powers in return for their daughters, and Piper knew, from the looks on their faces, that they were going to agree to do so. The eldest charmed one looked to her youngest sister with a hard gaze, but it soon softened as Paige's eyes shone with a plea for help. She had never seen Paige look so distressed before. With all that Decron had put her through in the past seven years, this had to have been one of the worst. If it had been Prue and Andy hanging lifeless in Decron's arms Piper had no idea how she would have reacted.

"What?" The words had taken so long to settle in on Mark that he only just managed to bring his voice out. He could not take his eyes off of his girls, his angels. They looked so frail, so harmless, so innocent. If Decron did anything to harm them… The proposition the demon had just made was not one Mark needed to consider. He would give up everything in an instant if it meant saving his girls. Everything; his home, his powers, his life…

"Your powers in exchange for their lives." Decron spat. "What do you say?"

Paige and Mark turned to face each other. Paige wrapped her arms around her husband and buried her face in his chest, as the tears began to stream down her face once more. She knew what consequences giving Decron their powers would have. He would be too powerful for them to ever stop him. And The Power of Three would no longer exist. But to even question not saving her daughters had Paige appalled at herself. Laura and Rachael were her life and soul. She loved Mark with all of her heart, but without her daughters, she was nothing. Mark pulled back and placed a hand under his wife's chin, so that she would look him in the face. Their eyes met and Mark slipped his hand onto her abdomen with a small, knowing nod. The decision to give up their powers was made, but although she would do it anyway, Paige needed to check with her sisters first.

"Paige," Piper spoke, as if almost sensing what her sister was about to say. "I understand."

"Thank you…" Paige whispered in return, before turning to face the demon behind he whole situation. "If you hurt them once you have our powers, I will hunt you, and I _will_ kill you."

"You can try." Decron replied with a glare, his grip on Laura and Rachael becoming even tighter. "And now, a spell, if you please, half-breed."

Paige gulped. She knew she had to word this spell carefully so that she was only giving up she and Mark's powers. "What is now yours was once mine, let Paige and Mark's powers cross the line. We offer up our gifts to share, to give to Decron through the air." (AN- thanks Jess)She whispered, Mark squeezing her hand as her breathing became uneven. A chill sent straight down their spines as bright lights emitted from their chests and flew towards the towering demon.

The bright lights entered his chest and a sudden surge of power washed through him. He stood tall and let out a loud, booming cackle which almost shook the house, and a surge of electricity shot from his clawed fingertips. He had their powers now. If they ever did conceive a third child, he too would be powerless. But why stop there? Why let them live in peace? Oh no, Decron still wanted the Andersons to suffer. He wanted to be certain that they would _never_ find a way of conceiving The Third Child. "Why thank you." He spoke and his voice caused bile to rise in Paige's throat.

"Give me my daughters!" Mark screamed. "Now!"

"Oh, did I not mention that you'd have to come and find them? I'll be seeing you…" And then he was gone. And so were Laura and Rachael.

Paige's breathing got quicker and louder as she watched Decron flame out. She stepped away from her husband and let out a piercing scream. He had taken them. And she had no powers to retrieve them with. Behind her, Mark fell to the floor. Without his powers, his Nauctater instincts were gone and he suddenly felt helpless. His strong, masculine physique looked oddly frail as he brought his knees to his chest and began to cry. He had never been helpless before in his life. He had always had something up his sleeve. Now he didn't even have powers.

"We have to find them." Paige spoke up. "Mark, we have to find them."

"Do you think you'll be able to orb?" Mark asked, looking at his wife's stomach. If the baby had managed to start a fire by itself earlier, then there was the possibility that it would be able to orb.

"We can always hope…" Paige crouched down next to her husband and put her arm around his shoulders. She kissed his cheek and gave a saddened smile. "…Please orb us to your sisters." She whispered. Nothing.

"What did you just say?" Piper asked in shock. If she had heard correctly it certainly explained the odd wording of Paige's spell "Are you pregnant?"

"Yes." Paige replied, but her voice was left lingering in the air as she and Mark disappeared.

Piper's jaw dropped. Her powerless sister and brother-in-law had just been orbed out by their unborn child to god knew where. "Leo, we have to follow them. Sense her! Quickly!"

"Honey, I can't." He replied, apparently having tried as soon as they had disappeared. "They must be in the underworld."

"Aw crap!"

**xxxxx**

The underworld cave where they rematerialised was almost too dark to make anything out in. Mark kept a firm grip on Paige's hand, too scared that if he let her go, he would lose her too. The hard, rock floor was almost like a labyrinth of sharp stones and demon carcasses. The putrid smell lingering in the air would have made the Andersons' stomachs churn had they not been so focused on getting back their daughters, and the constantly tripping over rubble was not helping the situation. Tunnels led in every direction and the two powerless parents were stuck at a crossroads. One of the tunnels surely led to Laura and Rachael…or did they? Perhaps they were closer than they had thought…

When Mark turned his gaze upwards, his heart almost stopped. It took all of his effort not to scream. Hanging, fifty feet in the air, upside down, from two ropes, were his precious Pixie and Snowflake. Still unconscious, but still alive, their small forms swayed back and forth on the ends of the flimsy pieces of rope. They looked so helpless, and Mark had no way of helping them.

"Paige," He whispered. She too, turned her gaze towards the cave ceiling.

"Oh my god!" She choked. "Laura! Rachael!" They did not respond. Paige's hear, once again, began to race. Her daughters were so close, but so far from her reach. "Rachael! Laura!" She yelled again. Still they remained unconscious. "Oh god Mark, what are we going to d-" Her sentence was cut off as she began to dissolve in orbs. The baby was using its magic again, and Paige had never been more grateful.

Mark watched the cloud of orbs travel slowly up the cave towards Laura and Rachael. Perhaps things would work out for the better after all. He clenched his fists and kept his eyes fixed on the bright white lights that were his wife and unborn child. However, his newfound hope quickly turned to horror as a burning sphere of orange light hurtled towards it. "PAIGE!" He screamed, when the fireball came into contact with the orbs and she began to rematerialise as her body collided with the cave wall. "Paige!" She landed with a tremendous thud, which echoed through the underground tunnels. Blood immediately began trickling down her cheek and the nauctater dashed to her side. Before he could reach her, however, an arch of orange flames appeared in front of him, forming the demon he least wanted to see.

"Oh dear." Decron snarled, "I don't know how she orbed, but unfortunately she won't be doing it again."

"What the hell do you mean?" Mark spat venomously.

"I mean she's dead." Decron replied. Mark refused to believe it. If Paige were dead, Laura and Rachael would have felt it and they would not still be unconscious.

"You son of a bitch!" Mark removed his athame from his belt and lunged it into Decron's bare, charcoal black chest. Even if it had no effect on the all-powerful demon, just the satisfaction of inflicting pain on him relieved Mark of a small amount of stress.

Decron just smirked, as if finding the whole situation amusing. He pulled the blooded athame from his chest and narrowed his one eye at the nauctater before bringing the blade to his mouth and licking his own blood from it. "Pathetic." Decron sneered. "You can't kill me."

"But I can hurt you."

"Not nearly as much as I can hurt you." Decron bore all of his pointed, yellow teeth in a cruel grin, "Are you forgetting I have the upper hand here Mark, or do you want me to show you what I can do to your family- your daughters."

"Leave them out of this!" Mark yelled, shifting his eyes, for only a moment, to his little girls to make sure they were still there. "You don't want them. You want Paige and me. You have done since the beginning!"

"Oh, a wise one, aren't we? So you think just because I don't need them dead, then I'm not going to kill them?"

"Please." Mark never thought he would bring himself to do this, but if saving his daughters meant begging, he was prepared to do it. "Just let them go."

"Hmm…" Decron brought his hand to his chin and looked up in contemplation. "If you wish." With a swift hand movement, the ropes that had been holding Laura and Rachael snapped. Never had such a surge of worry shot through Mark, but he ran straight towards the spot in which his daughters would land.

"You bastard!" The nauctater yelled. "You fucking bastard!" All he could do was hope that he would have the strength to catch them. They were falling faster and faster and were getting closer and closer to him. All the while, Decron just stood, laughing.

The force at which Laura and Rachael landed in his arms sent all three crashing to the ground. Mark was almost scared to open his eyes, but when he did, he breathed a long sigh of relief. They were safe. And they were awake. Rachael's face was full of fear and tears were already formed in her eyes. Laura just looked to her father in horror.

"Daddy," She whispered. "He's back."

"I know." Mark replied, shaking in relief. He brought them both close to his body and kissed their foreheads multiple times. He loved these two little girls more than anything in his life and if anything had happened to them, he would have died. "I need you to orb to the Manor, okay?" He spoke quietly and quickly, not knowing when Decron would get bored.

"But Daddy…"

"No buts Pixie. It's not safe here. I need you to go to the Manor and tell your Aunties and Uncles that me and Mommy are here."

"What if you is hurted?" Rachael asked in a small, hoarse voice. "I love you Daddy…"

"I love you too my angels. I love you so much." He pulled them into yet another hug and continued speaking. "If Daddy doesn't come home tonight, know that…know that I'll _always_ be there, okay?"

"But daddy," Laura began, refusing to let her tears fall, "You are coming back, right?"

"I'll try Pixie, I'll try…now go!"

"Bye…" They disappeared in a swirl of blue and white lights and Mark shot straight back to his feet.

"Why did you let them go?" He asked accusingly. No demon he had ever met had spared a child's life before.

"Because." Decron replied, "Knowing that both of their parents are dead will cause them a lot more pain that death ever would."

Mark tensed, knowing what was to come. He was not scared. Death was just going to be another journey. As powerful bolts of electricity -of his own power- surged through his body, he refused to scream. He kept eye contact with Decron the entire time and through all of the unbearable pain that shot through him, his face remained emotionless. He was going to die. And he was going to do it bravely. He knew Paige was still alive. But Decron did not. All that Mark cared about now was that Paige, and his unborn child, stayed alive.

His body landed limply on the floor. He gasped for air and struggled to even move his feet. Decron's sneering face appeared above his, but he had to squint through darkness to see it. "Any last requests?" The demon sneered. Mark gulped. He could barely open his mouth, let alone scream, but he did.

"Wh…why us?" He asked. Throughout the entire seven years he had been married to his wonderful wife, that had been the one question left unanswered. Why _had_ Decron always targeted them?

Decron grinned. He had won. He had really won. He looked to the dying Nauctater and began his explanation. "The Prophecy," Decron began, "of The Third Child: _When a nauctater and a charmed one fall in love, they will have three very powerful children. The first shall inherit her mother's abilities; the second from her father's mother, but the third shall be more powerful than any before. His abilities will be beyond what any Nauctater has ever had, and when he comes of age he will be the most powerful of his kind. The third child of a charmed one and a nauctater is the only one with the ability to kill Decron, the third child of the demon Sarcenoff. And in doing this, he will protect the magical community from Decron's evil rule_." Decron placed his boot on Mark's knee and allowed all of his weight to transfer onto his one foot, cracking Mark's leg. "You see, I had to prevent the existence of the third child. I thought to begin with that perhaps if I killed one of the other children you'd give up on having any more. But then I realised, that the only real way to prevent him ever existing would be to kill you and your wife. And that's what I'm going to do. Say goodbye Mark." He spat on the Nauctater's face before taking Mark's own athame and lunging it into his chest once, twice, three times and more. Mark flinched. His time had come, but he was smiling. Decron believed he had prevented the existence of the third child, but Mark knew otherwise. As he watched Decron flame out, he slipped out of consciousness, but he left consciousness knowing that Decron had failed.

**xxxxx**

Paige's eyes fluttered open and she reluctantly raised her head, hoping with all of her power that the day's events had all been some sort of sick dream. However, she could immediately tell from the hard rock floor and the sickening taste of blood in her mouth that the day had been very real indeed. She squinted through the darkness, her heart racing and her head pounding, searching for some sign of Mark or the girls. She found one.

Bile rose in her throat and tears sprang into her eyes. "No…" She choked, crawling towards the crumpled figure of her husband. The pain in her lower back was almost unbearable, but she needed to get to him. "Mark…wake up…" His dark curly locks covered his face, sticking to the sweat and blood his battle with Decron had created. Paige brushed it back, tears streaming down her face as she gazed into his mesmerising blue eyes in search of some sign of life. She couldn't find one. His white shirt was soaked in blood, seeping rapidly from the multiple wounds in his chest. "P…please wake up…" Still nothing. His usually strong and muscular physique looked oddly frail, crumbled on the floor of the cold, dark underworld cavern. His face was draining of colour and Paige could no longer hold back. Heavy sobs wracked her body as she collapsed on top of him. She was going to lose the only man she had ever truly loved.

"Paige…" A weak and trembling voice came, barely audible over Paige's violent tears.

"Mark?" Hope twitched in her voice, but when she looked into her husbands grief filled face, her smile did not reach her eyes, "…p…please d…don't go…"

"It's my time…" He told her slowly, as if talking was causing him great pain. His voice was hoarse, as if he'd be gargling shrapnel. Tears were spilling over his eyes and his cold body trembled in what he would never admit to be fear. "The girls are safe… make sure they know I love them…and the baby…"

"Please…" She choked. At the mention of the baby, a small fire formed at the back of the cave and Paige doubled over as her heart shattered. She was going to be left alone with three children. She was really going to have to say goodbye… "I love y…you s…so much."

"I love you too…" His eyes were so filled with sorrow that Paige could hardy bring herself to look at them. "Forever and always." The hand he had been stretching towards his wife fell to his side as all of his energy left him. And then Mark Anderson was gone. Even in death, his face showed the love and concern it always had, his blue eyes-the ones Paige had fallen in love with the first time she had ever gazed into them-showed the bravery he had taken with him to the grave. But Paige was too distraught to hear the soft whisper in the air. "I'll be watching over you…"

"Come back…" Her voice trailed off. She felt like she was going to vomit. It was too painful to register what was actually happening. Her heart split in two. As his body went limp and he died in her arms, she felt as though a part of her soul had gone with him. It felt like a thousand daggers had been plunged into her heart at the same time and the grief was becoming unbearable. She was engulfed in an empty pain, like something was clawing at her heart. Painful sobs wracked her body and she struggled for breath through her heavy tears. Why did he have to go? She had loved him with all of her heart, more than anything else in the world and now he was really gone. He was never coming back. Not this time. And it was all because of Decron.

Decron. The thought of his name hung in her head like poison. Mark was gone because of him and for now her extreme grief was overcome by the even more extreme need for revenge. And she was determined to get it.

AN- **sniffles.** You all hate me? I thought so. But I'm only gonna say one thing before you all shoot me multiple times (Or in RJF's case, cut off my head ±**ducks±**). Go and re-read the BOS entry in chapter 16 (The one about Nauctaters…) Small ray of hope? And don't forget to review! (Although I expect you'll all be very angry.) I hate myself too…sorry. And something else which is going to make you all hate me is that I think my updates are going to remain irregular because of things going on in my life at the moment. Please bare with me folks. Please.

Next chapter- Paige wants revenge. What will Decron do when he discovers Paige is alive and pregnant? Will Phoebe make the potion before it's too late to save MJ? Will Mark be the only one to meet his demise on this fateful night? And how will Paige be able to tell her daughters of their father's fate? Tissues may be needed again.


	25. Gone

I'm SOOOO sorry for the delay in updating! Too many things for me to tell have been going on in my life for me to explain, and accompanied with tremendous writers block, I wasn'thaving a very successful time! This chapter is kinda short, but it's good! I promise! I knew you'd hate me… but, as Jess so kindly put it, there is a method to my madness…

Rebanana- Thanks for the review! More evil than Decron! Argh! I think I made a lot of people cry… You'll have to wait and see about The Third Child! Please don't kill someone in your story!

RJF- **wipes brow** Thank goodness your sickle is at a far distance! I'm glad you think my writing is that good! I spent hours trying to get that chapter perfect. An ode to Mark, if you will. & The Phoebe bashing just slips in there! I can't help it! And wow? You have a padded cell TOO? COOL BEANS!

Charmed Dawn- Actually, from he minute I wrote his name on my page I knew Mark would die… I am so proud of myself for creating such a strong character that you actually think he's better than _Kyle_? But I have everything planned out…

.elementbabe.- Thanks for the review! I loved Mark too…still do in fact!

Prince Halliwell- Thanks for the review! You have no idea how long it took to write the prophecy so I could get it perfect! Lol! And maybe you're right about Mark, maybe not…

Phiona- Thanks for the review! Glad chapter 16 could put a little hope back in your heart!

Charmed1s-Halliwells- I made you cry too? Damn! I never thought I'd be able to reduce anyone to tears! Thanks for the review!

Powerof4- Thanks for the review! You hate me that much? I'm sorry! But never fear, I have it all planned out…

Money Makes Me Smile- Thanks for the review! Anyone who read it will think you're completely bonkers! But I understood every word of it! Lol. Wow! I rock that much? **tries not to let it go to her ego** I can't believe you were the only one to notice exactly what killed Mark! I'll have to make it clear! You'll have to see about Mark and The Third child, but it'll probably slip out in an msn conversation…

Cutleryismyfriend- I take it you're not happy? ±**Hides±** Watch that language! Lol! I hope your all caffeine-ed up now!

Cherry7up- Thanks for the review!

BlueOrbs998- YAY! 200th reviewer! You get a reward! I need you to pick three flashbacks which you'd like to see in a coming chapter: Paige and Mark's first meeting, Mark proposing to Paige, Piper finding out she's pregnant with Prue, Phoebe and Jason's wedding, or Benjamin being born? Thanks for the review!

Moonfirefairy- Sorry for making you cry! Thanks for the review!

Peanut2lb- Thanks for the review! One thing I'm trying to keep important in this fic is that there will only ever be one set of charmed ones, but that won't become important until later. You'll have to see what my plans for Mark are, but the BOS entry on Nauctaters in chapter16 is a really big clue…

Pangea- Thanks for the review! Nauctaters were entirely my own concept! Lol. As the fic goes on and the kids get older the concept of Nauctaters is going to be explored in more depth!

I want to dedicate this chapter to Jess, who has helped me overcome my writers' block and quite simply rocks!

**Chapter25- Gone**

Cole let himself into the Manor and despite the panic that had arisen as soon as he had received the phone call from Leo informing him of his daughter's injury and of the Andersons' disappearance, smirked. That door was never locked.

"Hello?" He called. He was greeted by silence. "Phoebe?" Nothing. "Piper?" And then he heard something, but it wasn't an answer to his shouts. It was the sound of a woman crying- a cry he knew very well- coming from the living room.

He entered and saw Phoebe kneeling next to the sofa, her face buried in her hands. "Phoebe?" He asked tenderly.

"Cole?" She whispered, looking up to reveal a tearstained face. He looked at her with question, still standing in the doorway. "She's dying…" Phoebe sniffed.

It suddenly dawned on Cole why Phoebe had been crouched next to the sofa. MJ. He slowly, cautiously, entered the room, dreading what he may see. He had panicked when Leo had told him of Decron's return, but he had never imagined MJ's injury to be so serious. The look on Phoebe's face, however, told him otherwise. And then he saw his daughter and realised it was true. She was dying. Her usually sun kissed skin was tremendously pale and the green pinafore she was wearing was soaked through with blood. The huge gash in her chest was enough to make vomit rose in Cole's throat. His little girl, one who usually exuded confidence, was lying there helpless and from what Leo had told him, Cole knew he could not to anything to save her.

"Phoebe." Cole said, trying to hold off his own tears, his eyes glued on Melinda-Jayne's body. "Mark and Paige will kill Decron. She'll be okay." However much it sounded like he was trying to reassure Phoebe, Cole was trying to reassure himself. Not only did he have the weight of his dying daughter in his heart, but also the knowing that his best friend in the whole world had a chance of dying too.

**xxxxx**

Piper slumped over the stove and, with trembling hands, added a handful of mustard seed into her cauldron. Her vision was blurred with tears and her mind raced with thoughts of her family. Her niece was dying; Laura and Rachael were missing in the hands of Decron; Paige and Mark had not returned; Phoebe was too panicked about Melinda-Jayne to even focus on her own potion, and Leo had insisted on going to ask the elders about Decron's whereabouts. Jason had taken Prue, Andy and Charlotte to Victor's, but things were not looking bright. The eldest Charmed One knew something bad had happened. She couldn't explain it but there was a lurch in her heart that was telling her someone was not going to return home. She lost all concentration for a brief moment as she looked to the Anderson family portrait. If one did not return the others would not cope.

Her concentration returned when the anti-curse potion she had been mixing for MJ began sparking. She hurriedly removed it from the hob and gave it one final stir before turning to retrieve potion vials from the cupboard behind her. However, the twinkling of blue light in the corner quickly snatched her attention.

"Leo?" She asked, "What did the elders say?" But the orbs did not form Leo. Cowering, huddled together, bruised and dirty, tears streaming down their petite faces were Laura and Rachael. Piper's breath caught in her chest and the empty vial she had been holding smashed on the floor. She met Laura's eyes, but they held no hope, and none of the innocence Laura usually possessed. Behind her niece's blue eyes lay a hollow sorrow. This made Piper's heart sink. Rachael was crying too much for Piper to even take a proper look at her, but she felt the redhead calm as she wrapped the Anderson girls in a tight embrace.

"…Where are your mommy and daddy?" Piper asked slowly. The question she had been dreading was almost too hard to ask.

**xxxxx**

A fiery orange blaze filled the underworld cave and thick, black smoke began wrapping around Paige's lungs. The flames were close to licking her pale and bruised skin, but she couldn't find the strength to move. Her hip throbbed in pain; her lungs, filling with smoke, and tender from heavy sobs, her chest ached; but it was her shattered heart which caused the inability to move. She lay still on Mark's cold and lifeless body, her finger caressing his blooded cheek. She had not enough energy to sob any longer, but her soul still cried out in a searing pain.

When the flames brushed her bare skin, Paige jerked herself away from them, but through all of her pain, could not find the strength to move away from the raging fire. A small cough escaped her mouth and she slowly brought a trembling hand to the small of her back, where the flame had just touched her. It took a moment for the youngest Charmed One to register something that she could not understand. The flame had not burned her…

She brushed the tears from her swollen and reddened eyes, her lip still quivering, but she couldn't help but wonder… She placed her hand on her stomach and looked towards the roaring fire; her baby had caused it. Something inside her was urging her to touch the flames again. It was almost as if they were calling to her.

"Why?" She whispered to her unborn child, lowering her tearstained face to look at her stomach. A curious look washed over her and she was hit by a sudden light-headed spell, which caused her to fall forwards dizzily. For a brief moment- just a fraction of a second- an eerie green glow surrounded Paige. She swept her tousled and rubble filled hair from her raw and reddened face and looked to the fire, but her eyes were no longer the warm and inviting doe brown they had been the moment before. Paige's eyes were now the deepest midnight blue you could possibly imagine. Her pupils would have been lost in the mass of deep blue if it had not been for the distinct waves of aqua marine. No, Paige's eyes were no longer her own. They were the eyes of a nauctater. The eyes of her unborn son. The eyes of The Third Child.

She lowered her face to gaze at Mark's and planted a soft kiss on his cold forehead. She uttered no words, but her immense love for her dead husband seemed to linger in the air- to fill the underworld cave with the flames. In fact, the fire was almost a symbol of the burning passion they had shared.

Paige rose to her feet, which was an extreme effort with the searing pain in her hip, but a new look of purpose had settled on her face. It was the sheer determination shining in the blue eyes which she now possessed that gave her an almost strong look.

"Thank you." She whispered slowly, a tear streaming down her face, "Dad." And with no further warning, The Third Child made his mother's body step into the raging blaze. It seemed to rise, filling the entire cave with furious flames. The heat, to a mortal, would have been unbearable. The fire itself would have killed a human being within seconds. But Paige stood in the centre of the conflagration, her hands raised to the ceiling, wild determination shining in the blue eyes as she brought her arms downwards, causing the fire to enter her. And then…she was gone. One thing that she had failed to notice before disappearing, however, was that she was not the only one to have disappeared. Mark's body was nowhere to be seen.

**xxxxx**

His hollow and cold laughter reverberated on the walls of the dark, underworld cavern and he showed all of his jagged yellow teeth in their disgusting and rotten smile. He had finally gotten to experience the sweet taste of victory. After all of his failed plans, after everything he had lost, Decron had succeeded in killing Paige and Mark…or so he thought.

A burst of intense heat from behind caught the large, cloaked demon of guard, but he did not care. Without The Third Child in existence, he was unstoppable. Whatever feeble demon this was would suffer his wrath. He formed a fireball in his hand and turned to face the spot in which a burning fire remained in and his brow wrinkled in confusion.

"Come out you ignorant fool." He growled, "Show yourself."

Paige felt the dizzy spell once more and her head drooped downwards and a small green glow flashed around her for only a millisecond. She looked up. She was no longer in the tunnel of caves where she had been drawn by the mysterious unharming fire, but she was in a small, dark cavern. Her gut instinct told her that her unborn child had been the reason behind the sudden location change, but the question was: why?

Her question was soon answered. She looked up, revealing her now doe brown eyes, and they rested on the back of the one demon she never wanted to see again. Cackling ominously to himself was the demon who had just destroyed Paige's soul and shattered her heart. The demon who she had such a passionate hatred for that even looking at him caused the fire at her feet to grow. When Decron formed a fireball in his hand, Paige, with the strain of her agonising hip, only just managed to move before he could see her.

"Come out you ignorant fool." He growled. The sound of his voice sent chills down the youngest Charmed One's spine, but rage bubbled so violently in her stomach that it took all of her remaining strength not to scream. This was the voice of a murderer. "Show yourself."

"Gladly." Paige spat, her voice dripping with poison, but rough from all of the crying she had done. Decron turned to face her and the smirk wiped from his charcoal black face as his one eye widened in horror.

"How…?" He stuttered. For a moment, the world's most powerful demon was frightened. Paige looked ready to kill. And ready to kill she was.

"You bastard." She said, keeping her voice in a steady tone. Her eyes glared daggers at Decron, but at the same time, it looked as though she was fighting back tears. Her breathing became louder and deeper, all the while her face growing angrier and angrier. "You're going to pay for what you did."

Decron smirked, infuriating Paige even further, but before she could speak again, Decron did. "You pathetic excuse for life. I have no idea how you survived my attack, or how you got here, but let me assure you, half-breed, you can never make me pay. There's nothing you can do that will harm me. Nothing."

Paige was to distressed to think of a response. The only word buzzing round her mind was the one question she had been asking herself since her wedding day, but now seemed like an inappropriate time. She wanted to strike fear into Decron's heart. She wanted to rip it from his body and tear it into shreds, just like he had done to her in his act of malicious murder.

"Why?" She choked. Her attempt to stop tears was failing, as did her attempt to keep the question form passing her lips. "Why Mark?"

"Why Mark?" Decron mocked. "Because," the tall demon looked to be contemplating what to say, "I had to prevent the existence of The Third Child."

Paige's heart was racing. It took a moment for her to grasp what Decron had just said: 'The Third Child'? What did that mean? …Unless…her child? He was trying to prevent her unborn child from existing? Then he had not succeeded.

"The Third Child?" She repeated his words in contemplation. It all began to make sense to her now. Her thoughts were brought back to the day Rachael had been born; to a conversation Decron had had with Barbus…

"_Barbus, you insolent fool! Did you not think to take care of the family?" _

"_Of course I didn't forget, but how else was I going to steal this baby for myself if there was no one to vanquish you."_

"_No living witch can vanquish me Barbus!" Decron roared, as if amused by Barbus' plan._

"_Oh…" Although his plan had been foiled, the demon of fear was still grinning. "But then I suppose it means I can?"_

"_Don't be so idiotic! You know my biggest fear and you know it is impossible to bring him here!" _

Paige had never understood what Decron had meant, but now, it all made sense… For some reason or another, Decron feared her unborn child, and he was under the belief that he had prevented its existence.

"The Third Child?" She repeated again. "He's the only one who can destroy you, isn't he?"

"Clever, half-breed, clever." Decron sneered. "Pity that brain of yours won't be in use for much longer…wait? How did you know The Third Child was a male?"

"Something you'd never know about." Paige replied. What she was going to say next would give her so much satisfaction. "When a woman's pregnant she can just tell."

Decron's jaw dropped and his fireball extinguished. All of his arrogant confidence; his looming and ominous stance; and all of his power over Paige was lost in that one moment. "No." Decron gasped. "You're lying to me half-breed."

Paige glared defiantly at the demon she hated with the fire of a thousand burning suns. To kill him would give her the revenge she sought. But she wanted to do it painfully, and she was unsure of how to tap into her baby's power. Slowly she unclenched her fist and placed her hand on her lower abdomen, silently willing the baby to show its power.

"Nobody lies to me and gets away with it!" Decron roared, his defensive stance rising, but Paige could still see fear in his eye.

"Touched a sore spot, have I?" Paige mocked. "And I'm not lying."

This was too much for Decron to handle. He thrust his arm towards Paige, hitting her hard in the jaw and sending her crashing backwards into the cavern's wall. Her head pounded against the rock surface, giving a resounding bang, which made Decron's smirk return. He looked at Paige's unconscious body and let out a malevolent chuckle. It wasn't too late to kill the unborn child. And now, with Paige unconscious, it would be so much easier.

"Goodbye once and for all half-breed." He snarled, pulling the athame he had stolen from the nauctater from his pocket and raising it above his head, ready to strike. He lunged forward, preparing to finally take his victory, but stumbled, caught off guard by the green glow which had momentarily surrounded his pathetic victim.

"What?" he gasped as Paige began to rise to her feet. He had seen her hit her head. Nobody should have been able to survive that without remaining unconscious for a very long time. But Paige was now on her feet, glaring with more hatred than anyone could ever muster. Decron prepared to strike again, but found himself too drawn by the mysterious blue eyes which were crushing him with an icy stare to raise his knife. Something about those eyes was striking fear into the cruel and powerful demon.

"Nobody," Paige spoke, her voice barely above a whisper, "_Nobody_ hurts my mother." Venom seemed to spill from her mouth as she took a step forward. Decron had lost all of his power now. The Third Child was in control.

"No!" Decron roared, and edge of panic in his voice. "It can't be!" Those eyes. Decron realised why he had been so frightened of them. They were the eyes of the man he had just killed. The same ones the Anderson Children all shared. They were the eyes of The Third Child. "It's not possible."

"Apparently, it is." Paige spat. "Any last words?"

Decron had never looked so weak or scared in his life. This was the end, but he couldn't stand by and allow death to meet him. He formed a fireball in his palm and thrust it towards Paige, but his fear only became more immense when she absorbed the fireball through her chest and remained unfazed.

"Fire can't hurt me." She said defiantly. "But it can hurt you." Both of her arms flew forward, towards the small blaze which had been left behind when she had been transported. The flames, which had almost died out, now rose to a tremendous height, the heat almost unbearable. "Goodbye Decron." The words were spoken quietly, but they meant more to Paige, and The Third Child than any ever spoken. This would be the end of the Demon who had cause Paige more pain than all of the other demons put together.

"Noooo!" Decron screamed, as Paige violently pushed him back into the raging blaze. A smile played on the youngest Charmed One's lips as a green glow engulfed her again. Her now brown eyes glazed with tears as she watched Decron meet his demise. His screams seemed to echo through the cavern for eternity. His clawed hands grasped his face as his skin began to bubble in the roaring fire. He fell to his kneed, engulfed in an excruciating pain and continued to scream in agony. Paige watched until he screamed no more and all that remained was a pile of ash, but revenge did not stay sweet for long. Without a purpose to take her mind from it, Mark's death became more real. He was really gone. He was never coming back…

**xxxxx**

The Manor remained in an eerie silence as the sun sank over the bay leaving San Francisco in darkness. Phoebe lay in the living room, MJ, having been healed after drinking Piper's anti-curse potion, asleep on her knee. The fact that it had worked seemed almost like a miracle, but everyone had been too grateful to question it. As mother and daughter slept, having been exhausted by the panic filled day and tired by their worry for the Andersons, Leo paced the room, hating the powerless feeling he had. Piper and Cole sat in the kitchen in a tense quiet, neither knowing what to do or say to Laura and Rachael, who were cuddled together by the basement door, shaking violently, tears streaming down their faces.

The stillness of the Manor, however, was brought to an abrupt end when the twinkling of blue lights appeared in the kitchen corner. Piper's heart stopped, Cole's jaw dropped, and an ounce of hope shone on the young girls' faces. When the lights formed the blooded, bruised and frail form of Paige, everyone in the Manor's kitchen rose to their feet.

"Paige," Piper gasped, her voice dripping with concern for her baby sister. It seemed almost inevitable what had happened, and apparently Cole had realised it too because tears were now silently tumbling down his cheeks.

Paige ignored her sister. She knew if she made eye contact with anyone she would break down and crumble beneath the agonising pain in her heart. She saw her daughters, so small and innocent, look to her in relief, but sorrow also shining on their little faces. She fell to her knees and pulled them close to her and enveloped them into a tight embrace, before falling apart and letting her tears overspill.

"Mommy?" Laura said in a hoarse whisper, she too was crying, still gripping tightly to her sister's hand. "Wh…where's Daddy?"

This was the question Paige had been dreading. How could she tell them? How could she tell her daughters that their father was dead? "He…" She began, sobbing and still avoiding her sister's gaze. "He's with the angels." She choked as Laura collapsed into her arms, sobbing in the same violent manner as her mother. Rachael, however, did not seem to understand.

"Wh…when he comin' home?" She asked sadly.

"He," Paige could almost not bring herself to say it. "He's not…"

And the Andersons sat there weeping together, leaving the rest of the family to do nothing but watch. What could they say to a family who had just lost their husband and father? Piper was crying onto Cole's shoulder, and Phoebe, who had appeared in the doorway, was crying similarly onto Leo's. The two men were letting tears fall down their cheeks, but trying to be strong for Paige more than anyone.

The silence that had previously engulfed the Manor was joined now by sorrow, as the Halliwells tried to come to terms with the death of one of their own. The silence, however, stopped when it reached the attic, where the Book of Shadows lay, pages turning and coming to rest on the page titled 'Prophecies of good'. Written in fresh ink, in a very familiar handwriting was 'The Third Child'. There was no sign of who had written it, other than the fresh set of green orbs which had just disappeared in the corner…

AN- I'm sorry it was so short! My summer holz start next week so the next chapter shouldn't take so long to write. I've pretty much got most of it written with pen and paper so all I'll have to do is type it up. I hope you are all still with me. Please review.

Laur x


	26. Watching Stars Without you

Laur is here, only one day late this time! This chapter is kinda sucky, but…I'm Sorry! I have a couple of really good ones coming up chapter 28/29 though. Please forgive me! Thanks for your reviews!

Powerof4- This update didn't take so long :D And don't worry, you'll be seeing some of TTC's personality sooner than you expect… hah. Cryptic is fun.

.elementbabe. – Thanks for the review.

Cherry7up- Thankles :D

Cutleryismyfriend- Strawberry flavoured bitch? Coool beans! And dude, I'll never ignore they review! They always rock!

BlueOrbs998- Wow! That must be the most spectacular review in the history of reviews ever! And needless to say, but you rock too! I made you cry again? Sorry! Yep, Paige's son will be a powerful dude. Hehe. Look forward to the flashback of their first meeting in Chapter 29 (I think). And you're getting your wish for a Piper/Paige sisterly moment! Enjoy.

Money makes me smile- LMFAO! Jess, you rock! Can you be sure it was Mark? I promise I didn't steal the idea for TTC taking over Paige! It was actually supposed to be like when the Source baby took over Phoebe in Season4…but you haven't seen that… Thanks for the review!

Prince Halliwell- Never fear dude, I have another, more Piper based chapter which I plan on dedicating to you:p And how can you be sure the orbs were Mark? Thanks for the review!

RJF- Thanks for the review! I'm still only on chapter seven of your story, but I'm getting there slowly but surely! Lol. And yes, you'll be seeing more green orbs… :p

Moonfirefairy- Thanks for the review.

Fanmania- Thanks for the review.

Charmed1s-Halliwells- Thanks for the review.

**Chapter26- Watching Stars Without You**

Piper knocked, for the seventh time, on the door of her youngest sister's apartment and she let out an aggravated sigh.

"Paige, I know you're in there!" She yelled. Piper and Phoebe had neither seen nor heard from Paige since Mark's memorial service over a week ago. Piper's worry over her sister was making her sick- more so than her pregnancy was already making her. Paige had left the service in such a distressed state that her sisters had almost been scared to go after her. When they had however, Paige, Laura and Rachael had been nowhere to be found. Apparently Paige had cast a magic cloaking spell over herself and daughters- one, which had now clearly worn off. But going for a week without so much as a phone call from Paige had Piper more worried than she had ever been. "If you don't open this door Paige, I am going to blow it from its hinges!"

The muffled sound of footsteps and voices lightened Piper's heart a little, but when the door was opened, surprise was the feeling most prominent in the oldest charmed one.

"Cole?" She asked, surprised to see the teary eyed face of her friend in her sister's apartment.

"Hi," He replied. It was clear he had been close to tears. "Paige is in the kitchen."

"What are you doing here?" Piper asked, lowering her voice as she walked into the shabby apartment. Her eyes widened in shock. The waste bins were overflowing with tissues and clothes, both dirty and clean, were strewn over the back of the red leather suite. Piper could see that her youngest sister had net even made an attempt to clean since her husband's death.

"I made Mark a promise a long time ago." Cole said in answer to Piper's question. "I promised that if anything were ever to happen to him I'd look after Paige and the girls." The sorrow in Cole's voice was enough to bring tears into Piper's eyes. Of course, Mark's death, on top of her pregnancy, had left her without dry eyes for quite some time, but the fact that Cole was being of more of a help than she was only added guilt to her grief. "I've got to pick Mel up from Phoebe's." Cole said. "Tell Paige I'll be back tomorrow."

"Okay…" She watched Cole exit the apartment before turning and making her way across the littered floor towards the kitchen. When she reached it, however, she was beginning to regret ever coming.

Paige was slouched over the small, wooden kitchen table, her frail form shaking as she ran her clammy hand through her tousled and unwashed hair. Her other hand was placed firmly on her gradually expanding stomach and although it was clear she knew her sister was there, she kept her reddened eyes fixed on her half drunk cup of coffee. Rachael sat on the chair next to her mother, wearing the same sullen expression. She appeared not to have touched the rice crispies in the bowl in front of her, and a rim of ice was beginning to form on the section of the table in front of the redhead. Laura was the only one who looked up when Piper entered the cluttered room. Her blue eyes, glazed with tears, met her Aunt's and she ran, from where she had been standing in front of the fridge, straight into Piper's embrace. She appeared to be too weak to cry anymore. Piper had never seen her niece like this. Not even after the woogy incident.

"Paige," Piper began quietly, standing with the curly haired little girl still in her arms. "You should have called…"

Paige slowly looked up from her coffee and glared daggers at her sister. Her face, where it wasn't raw from tears, was paler than usual and here eyes were bloodshot. "Why?" She spat. "So you can sit there and tell me you're sorry and that everything's going to be okay before you return to your perfect life with your perfect family?"

"Paige-"

"Forget it Piper! Everything's not okay! Everything will _never _be okay!" As Paige spoke her voice cracked and the dishtowel, which was lying on the table burst into flames. Rachael lifted her hand and let a shower of ice extinguish it effortlessly, as if she had done it a thousand times before, whilst Laura rushed to her mother's side and began stroking her arm in a bid to calm her down. It suddenly dawned on Piper what her nieces had been dealing with for the past week. As well as grieving over the death of their beloved father, they had the burden of stopping their mother from slipping into a chronic depression and setting the apartment on fire using her unborn baby's powers.

The eldest Charmed One had to use all of her will power to stop herself from crying as her youngest sister continued speaking. "How can it be okay?" Paige's defensive stance slipped as she dropped her self-protecting barrier and fell to the floor. "He's never coming back…"

Piper dashed to pick Paige from the floor, but instead just remained on the linoleum as a shoulder for her sister to cry onto.

"Oh Missy Paige," Piper whispered as Paige's arms wrapped around her and her hands clung to the back of the eldest Charmed One's brown suede jacket in an extremely tight grip, as if in fear of letting go, encase Piper left her too. To see Paige like this broke Piper's heart. Paige had always been strong and determined. Never had Piper viewed her sister as dependent but now all she wanted to do was comfort her baby sister like she never had been given the chance to do as a child. "You can make it through this." She continued, stroking Paige's hair comfortingly, rocking her sister back and forth as she continued to cry. "I know you've been hurting… but you don't have to go through this alone. You're my sister Paige. I love you and you know I'll be there helping you out whenever I can."

"But…" Paige sniffed, still not loosening her grip on Piper's jacket, "I need him. How can anyone help me?" She sobbed. "He's gone. He's gone and he's not coming home..." As Paige said this she fell backwards against the table and pulled her knees up to her chin. Laura and Rachael stood by their mother, wrapping their small arms around her, remaining silent, but looking at their Aunt with one pleading message in their huge blue eyes: Help my mommy.

Piper wanted to help her more than anything in the world, but there was nothing she could do. It took time to grieve. She knew this from experience.

"I... I can't do it by myself." Paige continued through muffled sobs "I need him here. Why couldn't they have taken m...me? Laura and Rachael need a father. I c... can't have this baby without him. It's my fault he's gone..." Paige's words had barely been understandable but Piper had heard it loud and clear. It was obvious that the youngest charmed one had been bottling all of her emotion up for the past week. Perhaps, Piper thought, letting it all out would help. She put her arms around the Anderson's and soon all three were leaning on her for some well-needed support.

"I'll always be here for you, okay?" Piper whispered. Paige nodded gratefully. "I Promise." She was almost relieved to have been of some help, but what the Andersons really needed was a clean bed, a hot meal and a lot of loving support from their family. "How about you guys come and stay at the Manor for a while, okay?" She asked, brushing away Paige's tears with her thumbs.

"Okay." Paige replied, squeezing both of her daughter's hands. "Thank you."

**xxxxx**

A month and a half slowly passed. Paige, despite being a lot less secluded, was still dreadfully quiet and clearly still not over her lost husband. All of the Andersons had changed dramatically. Laura in particular had become the complete opposite of her usual cheerful and outgoing self, but on the morning of her fifth birthday, the Halliwells hoped she would be brought back to normal.

Paige, as usual, had gotten very little sleep on the camp bed in what was now her daughters' bedroom in the Manor. She stared at the Mickey Mouse clock realising it was half past seven and tried to will herself to stand up. The moment she did so she looked to her eldest, who was groggily awakening for her big day.

"Happy Birthday Pixie." She said with a small smile as Laura sat up sleepily.

"Happy Birfday Mommy…" Laura replied, too asleep to realise that she wasn't replying to her usual 'good morning' and just repeating what her mother had said. When she realised what she had done, she gave a small giggle and shuffled down the bed. Rachael, who was sleeping next to her, slept through it. She could sleep through anything in the same respect as her father could.

Laura jumped off the bed and ran to her mother's side. She wrapped her arms around Paige's waist and buried her face in the youngest Charmed One's chest. Love radiated from the hug, but Laura said nothing. Paige placed her hand on Laura's bouncy curls and let out a sigh. Laura was growing up fast. She was only five but it was already as if she was wise beyond her years. She could read her mother like a book. Sometimes you just needed a hug, and Laura always knew when to give Paige one.

The bittersweet silence was broken by a small voice in the hallway. "Aunty Paige?"

Paige turned to the door to see Andy who was dressed in his oversized, blue and red Spiderman Pyjamas. His sandy hair stuck up at odd angles and his small, freckled face was looking confused at the two females sitting in the corner of the room. Paige quickly wiped her eyes free of the trace of tears which had appeared so that Andy would not worry.

"Yes sweetie?"

"Mommy wants to know if you want apple pancakes?"

"I DO!" Came Rachael's voice from her bed, a mass of red hair emerging from beneath the duvet. Her ears had obviously perked up at the sound of her favourite breakfast.

"Me too." said Laura quietly. "Can I Mommy?"

"Of course you can Pixie. Andrew? Can you tell your Mommy I'm not hungry?"

"Okay," he said with a curt nod, "Laura, do you wanna come get the cawd I maked you?"

Laura gave Paige a quizzical look as if asking 'will you be okay?' but when Paige nodded she jumped up and sleepily walked out of the room with her younger cousin.

"APPLE PANCAKES!" Rachael shrieked excitedly, crawling from under the covers and standing on the bed to reveal her lime green, polka dot pyjamas. "Yummy!"

Paige looked at her youngest daughter and couldn't hep but roll her eyes with a smile. She remembered being a young girl, living with her foster parents and getting that excited over apple pancakes herself. It was odd that although Rachael shared neither of her parents looks, that her personality traits were so similar to both.

"Yep, very yummy! Especially when Aunty Piper makes 'em!" Paige replied trying to hide the melancholy feeling she had in her stomach, picking Rachael up from the bed.

"No- betta when Daddy make dem!"

It was odd how such a simple sentence could cut through Paige like a knife. She knew that Rachael understood her father was never coming home, but the redhead's optimistic innocence was as strong as the stubborn attitude she had inherited from her Aunt Prue. Paige kicked the bin in an attempt to stop herself screaming. Talk of Mark still didn't go down well at all with the youngest Charmed One.

The hug between mother and daughter was cut short by Leo's call of 'breakfast' from downstairs. Paige was grateful for this and she let her daughter run downstairs herself so that she could get into the unoccupied shower. As soon as she did so, however, the voice she least wanted to hear came through the door.

"Paige, are you okay?" It was Piper. Paige was going to be eternally grateful for everything Piper had done for her in the past month, but since she had broken down in front of her sister in her apartment all those weeks ago, she hadn't met Piper's eyes. Other than Laura and Rachael, Piper was the only person to have seen Paige break down and the youngest charmed one felt ashamed of burdening all her emotions on her sister. She did know that Piper was trying to help but she knew her big sister would never understand. The youngest Halliwell sister responded to Piper's question by turning on the radio and putting the volume up full blast. She didn't care that it was another of those dreadful dance remixes of a song that had once been good and was now completely ruined. All she cared about was being left alone.

Piper stood in the hallway looking at the bathroom door in immense frustration. She wondered what was going on in her sister's mind and felt a sudden anger towards herself for not being able to help. On many occasions she had been tempted to not drink her daily dose of telepathy blocking potion just to allow her to know what Paige was feeling. Every night Piper had heard her sister's restlessness and every night she had longed to comfort her. The problem was, Paige did not want her comfort. Phoebe had felt the same helplessness when she had stayed the first few nights. They had lost Mark too, but the pain they had felt would be nothing compared to what their baby sister was feeling. Even a month and a half later, when they attempted to speak to her about it she would simply leave the room or ignore them completely.

She gave up on shouting through the bathroom door and decided to take Laura's birthday presents downstairs with her as she slowly trudged down them. She found Prue in the sunroom, entertaining Andrew and Rachael. She noticed that Laura was not in the room and her guilt over not being able to help her sister doubled. Her niece was suffering too- even on her birthday. Leo stood behind his daughter and smiled when he saw Piper enter the room. Even when stress was etched into her face she looked beautiful. He crossed the room and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek.

"What's up?" He asked.

"Paige," Piper replied quietly.

Leo sighed and gave his wife's shoulder a comforting squeeze. "It's just weird y'know? I look at Prue and Andy and I'm so glad I'm gonna be here to see them grow up. Laura and Rach aren't gonna have that and…" He stopped to smile at his cheerful daughter who was giving him a happy wave, blissfully ignorant of the melancholy vibe which had settled on the household. "And I just wish there was something I could do for Paige…"

"You could stop talking about me behind my back." Snarled a frustrated voice. Paige angrily pushed past the couple and hurried towards Rachael. She was wearing her bathrobe and had her was still dry, indicating that she had not yet entered the shower. It had been the first time in two days she had spoken to Piper and the first time all week she had been without bloodshot eyes.

"Come one Snowflake. We're gonna go have a bath." She said, placing her hands under Rachael's arms and raising her into the air. "You wouldn't want to be stinky now would you?"

Rachael at her mother and shook her head causing her long red hair to swing in front of her face. "Stinky like Uncle Jay?" She asked with a cheeky smile, which Paige could not help but return. Mark had obviously showed his dislike of Phoebe's husband to his daughter and Paige found it rather amusing. The redness was once again creeping back into her eyes but before Piper could notice she had rested Rachael on her hip and scurried into the kitchen where her eldest was sitting at the table staring into space. She had a fork in her hands and was absent-mindedly prodding and playing with the half eaten pancake on her plate. When she noticed her mother walk into the room she immediately jumped off her seat and ran to Paige with her arms open. She gripped tightly onto Paige's leg and started sniffing.

"Come on Pixie." Paige said, ruffling Laura's curls with her free hand. "I'll race you to the bathroom."

At this comment Laura looked up grinning through her sudden burst of grief. Orb-racing was her favourite game to play with her cousins. Her Mother was usually against it so she took it as a once in a lifetime opportunity.

"One Two Three GO!" She shouted, disappearing in a swirl of blue lights before she had even reached two. She was closely followed by Paige, who had Rachael in her arms, but Paige didn't give her the 'no cheating' lecture. It was her birthday. Cheating was allowed.

"I win!" She announced when Paige arrived in the bathroom.

"You _always_ win." complained Rachael irritably in a fashion so much like Phoebe it was unbelievable.

**xxxxx**

When the Andersons appeared downstairs half an hour later they seemed a lot happier. Laura, dressed in an orange pinafore decorated with purple flowers, was giving her grandfather her trademark cheeky grin- a grin nobody had seen since January. Rachael, dressed similarly to her sister but in blue and green, immediately ran towards her Aunt Phoebe who had arrived just moments before hand. Even Paige, although she still looked distant, was smiling.

After a chorus of 'Happy Birthday' led by Sam, who had a surprisingly good voice, the present opening began and it seemed that, for the moments Laura unwrapped her birthday gifts, everything was back to normal. The curly haired five-year-old giggled and laughed, thanking her family members for their presents. Paige watched her daughter, a smile never leaving her face. Her girls could always cheer her up. And the innocence and purity which shone from Laura's huge blue eyes melted the youngest charmed one's heart. Until now, Laura's eyes had been filled with hollow grief, but things were slowly turning back to normal.

Normal?

What was normal? How could anyone define the word? It seemed impossible to Paige that 'normal' had any meaning at all. Normal was different for everyone…but, in that case, it was not normal, was it? Normal had once meant coming home from her five-hour reception duty at South Bay Social Services to two smiling, beautiful little girls and her happy husband cooking a fabulous dinner for the family before heading to Quake for his daily shift. Now normal was…well, it had no definition. Sleeping for thee hours a night, heart aching with loneliness and a longing for love- a longing for Mark- and then spending her days in the Manor obsessively searching through the Book of Shadows, looking for something-anything- on The Third Child Prophecy. Giving up her job to look after her children had meant giving up her apartment. Now she lived in the manner, guilt ridden for taking Piper and Leo's charity. What was normal now? Normal was something Paige despised.

In the alternate universe she, MJ and Laura had been pulled into not that long ago, her alternate self had had two men after her heart, but in this reality she now had nobody. She wondered what had ever happened between the alternate Paige and Kyle…at least she thought that was his name… Was she cursed in love in every reality, or just this one?

"Look what Aunty Phoebe getted me!" Laura said happily, showing her mother the seventh instalment of Harry Potter on DVD with a cheeky grin. "Harry Potter!"

"That's great Pixie," Paige replied, having jerked out of her chain of thought, "Maybe we can watch it later, huh?"

"Yeah! And we can have poppy corn!"

"Toffee poppy corn!" Andy agreed enthusiastically.

"If Aunty Piper says it's okay." The youngest charmed one said with a nod.

"And cake!" Andy continued. "CAKE!"

"Oh!" Piper suddenly jerked her head upwards, "I forgot to put the cake in the oven. I'll be two seconds." As she left the room, Prue and Melinda-Jayne followed her, hand in hand. They stopped at the door and the eldest of the two turned to the other with a very serious look in her eyes.

"Melly Jay," Prue said as a smile formed on her face, "Laura's happy again!"

"Yup." MJ replied happily, "So is Rachy." Her smile faded and her face hardened as she turned her head back towards the living room. "But Aunty Paige ain't."

Prue looked lost in deep contemplation for a moment, but turned to her cousin with a glint of inspiration in her huge brown eyes. "Maybe we could do a spell…"

"A spell?" MJ gasped excitedly, "Yeah! To make Aunty Paige like Laura and be happy too."

"Okay…um…Her heart is hurting and her face is sad. This ain't personal gain so we ain't being bad. My Aunty Paige needs to smile, so make her happy like Laura for a while…"

"Did it wok?" Melinda-Jayne asked hopefully.

"I dunno…" Prue replied. They waited for a moment but Paige's expression remained the same. Giving up on it working, the cousins re-entered the living room, where Jason and Leo were picking up the loose wrapping paper and putting it in the bin. "Let's play hide and go peek!" Prue suggested excitedly. A cry of agreement rose in the children and the eldest cousin turned to her Aunt Phoebe, "I'll take Charlie." She said. Phoebe passed her one-year-old daughter to Prue and nodded giving her niece a look which suggested 'be careful'. And then all the kids disappeared in orbs or shimmers, which didn't please Phoebe but she just smiled t off.

"I'm gonna make tea, do you want some?" Phoebe asked her sister, husband and brother-in-law.

"That would be good, thanks." Leo replied with a smile "I'm going to make sure the kids aren't running loose in the attic." And then he too disappeared in sparkling blue and white lights.

"Does anyone use stairs in this house?" Jason asked sarcastically. Phoebe and Paige just rolled their eyes.

Paige was left alone in the living room as Phoebe and Jason headed into the kitchen to help Piper, and Sam went to put the paper into the recycling bin outside. She slowly rose to her feet, her hip still weak after her battle with Decron. She had refused to let anyone heal it. When she got to her feet, however, a strange sensation hit her stomach and she tumbled backwards, landing with a much lighter thud than she had expected.

Piper closed the oven door happily and turned to see Phoebe and Jason enter the kitchen. "Where are the kids?" She asked curiously.

"Playing hide and seek." Phoebe informed her sister. "Don't worry, Leo's making sure they stay out of the attic."

"So that's why Rachael and Andy are in the tree house?" Piper replied. "Where's Paige?"

"In the living room. Do you want tea?"

"Sure." Piper turned to leave the room so that she could ask Paige what colour of icing to put on Laura's cake, but was startled by the appearance of the dark, curly haired little girl in the doorway. "Hey Laura, just the birthday girl I need."

The little girls face wrinkled in confusion and she timidly entered the room. "Who's Laura?" She asked.

"Sweetie, that's not funny in this house, okay? Are you looking for your sister? I think she's outside, but don't tell her I told you, 'kay?"

"Who's Laura?" The girl asked again, a stubborn persistence so much like Paige's that it was unreal, washing over her. "And I don't have a sister!"

"Wha- Prudence!" Piper turned her head skywards, knowing that Prue's heightened whitelighter powers would allow her to hear her mother no mater where she was. She must have erased Laura's memory somehow.

"Prudence?" The girl asked with a childish giggle- one which sounded familiar, but nothing like Laura's booming cackle. "That's a silly name!"

"Um…Piper?" Phoebe asked, "What's the matter with our niece?"

"I have no idea…" The eldest Charmed One replied picking Laura from the floor.

"Paige!" Phoebe yelled, hoping that Laura's mother could break whatever spell had been cast on her.

"Hey!" The girl announced brightening up, "That's my name!"

"Shi…ugar!" Piper gasped, dropping her wooden spoon and looking the little girl directly in the eyes…not blue eyes, but brown. Exactly like Paige's.

Paige, apparently now a five-year-old little girl giggled again. "You're funny," She told Piper, grinning. "Where's my Mommy and Daddy?"

"Uh… Sam!" Phoebe called, he appeared in a swirl of orbs looking panicked.

Little Paige's jaw dropped. "Wow mista, how did you do _that_?" Sam's jaw dropped in an identical manner. "Hey!" Paige announced again, "You gots a nose like me!" She pointed to her own nose and smiled, "Can you take me home please?"

"Paige?" Sam asked in a happy shock. Never having had the chance to see Paige grow up, this was a miracle for the elderly whitelighter. One which would undoubtedly have to be fixed, but one which he would savour.

"How did you know my name?" She asked, as Piper placed her on the ground. There was no denying that Paige had been a cute kid- so much like Laura that it was almost scary.

"I…uh…"

"You told him, silly." Jason cut in.

"I did?" Jason nodded, "Oh…okay."

"Paige do you want to play a game?" Phoebe asked.

"You're too big to play games!" She said, "Only Glenn is good at playin' games!"

"Um…kids!" Phoebe shouted loudly, "Come here, now!"

Slowly all of the kids appeared in orbs or shimmers looking worried and apprehensive. Laura looked at her five-year-old mother curiously and turned to her grandpa.

"She looks like-"

"Yeah sweetie, we know." Sam replied. "Everyone meet Paige Junior."

"Paigey?" Rachael asked, her brow knitting, "Like Mommy?"

"Yeah, like mommy." Piper said, "_Exactly_ like Mommy. You guys take her outside and play, okay?"

"Okay!" Laura took Paige's hand-It was as if they could have been twins- and led her out into the back garden. The others followed, not really understanding what was happening.

"Ah," Piper stepped in front of Prue and Melinda-Jayne who were looking mischievously guilty, "You wanna explain this?"

"We's sorry…" MJ said, biting down on her lip nervously.

As Prue and Melinda-Jayne began to explain the spell they had cast, the garden was erupting in childish laughter. Sam watched the children play and smirked at what the elders would think of Laura's theory about the higher powers as she tried to explain orbing to Paige.

"And the elder men have really got a queen who's a lady. And she's really pretty and tells the stinky elders what to do, but sometimes they don't listen and are really mean. But the Queen of Elder Land tells them not to be bad."

"Wow," Paige said, impressed by Laura's 'knowledge'. "That's cool. I bet Glenn would find that cool too!"

"Uncle Glenn?" Rachael asked, "You _are_ my Mommy!"

"Damn," Sam whispered. For a two and a half year old, Rachael certainly had a lot of common sense. "Um, Paige I think we'd better go inside."

"Do I have to Mista Sam?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry."

She leapt into his arms and he gave the hugest smile anyone had ever seen him give. He had his daughter in his arms, hugging him like he was her father. Something he had missed out on when Paige had been growing up. He knew Prue and MJ would be getting in trouble inside, but he made a note of remembering to thank them later.

"The kids figured it out." He said as he entered the kitchen. "Any way we can change her back?

"We should be able to do it with a spell." Piper informed him. "But a part of me wants to keep her like that- carefree. Just for today…"

"Honey, you know we can't." Leo told her and she nodded knowingly, but sadly.

"Piper, Phoebe…" Sam began almost nervously, "There's something I'd like you to do first…"

**xxxxx**

A swirling mass of bright white light appeared in the circle of candles, which were marked on the attic floor. Patricia Halliwell stepped out, looking slightly confused, but when her eyes met Sam's a broad grin spread across her face. She ran towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck so lovingly that it almost brought a tear to Phoebe's eye. Sam had clearly been the love of her mother's life and to see them reunite was very touching.

"What am I doing here?" She asked him, after pulling out of a long kiss, which had caused a little voice that Patty assumed belonged to one of her granddaughters say 'eew'.

"I'll leave you alone," Phoebe said quietly, leaving the room, "Bye mom."

"Bye Sweetheart," Patty watched Phoebe leave and turned to Sam with curiosity spread across her face.

"Well…" Sam bit down on his lip in ponder of how to explain the situation. "Paige, come here."

"Yes?" She asked, walking towards the couple she did not know were her mother and father.

"Paige?" Patty gasped, "I could have sworn it was-"

"Laura, yes, I know." Sam said, "But it's Paige…it's our little girl."

"How did-"

"Prue and MJ…you do the math."

"Right…She's beautiful." Patty turned to Sam and smiled, "We missed out on so much."

"That's why I summoned you…Just so you could see what a wonderful child she was- even without us."

"Of course she's wonderful, she's a Halliwell." Patty replied.

"You've been spending too much time with your mother." Sam smirked.

"What are you speakin' about?" Paige asked, tugging on Sam's sleeve. She looked to Patty and awe spread across her face. "Wow, you're pretty."

"Thank you." Patty found herself overwhelmed, but something suddenly dawned on her. "How is Paige holding up? You know, after everything with…Mark…"

"Some days are better than others." Sam told her, "She's getting there."

"Mark?" Paige asked curiously, "I like that name." Then she smiled and took Sam's hand, before she felt a strange sensation in the pit of her stomach and dizzily fell backwards, landing with a loud thud. "Woah, what am I doing up here?" An adult Paige asked.

"You're back?" Sam asked. He realised almost immediately that the trigger to change her back had been her speaking of Mark without sorrow.

"Where was I?" Paige asked, "Woah, wait, _Mom_?"

"Hello Paige." Patty smiled. "How are you?"

"…I'm…" Paige looked to the floor, "Confused…in a word."

"Well, let's go downstairs and I'm sure someone can explain what happened because I'm not too sure either."

"Right…" Paige let her parents out the door before her, still curious as to what on earth had happened. But watching Patty and Sam walk down the stairs hand in hand she couldn't help smiling. Sam had had Patty taken from him years ago, yet here they were, still hand in hand and in love. It brought hope into her heart-just a small amount, but hope nonetheless. Perhaps one day she and Mark would be like that…together in the afterlife.

AN- Okay, I know the ending sucked but meh! I updated on time! …kinda! I think the next chap should be up on Sunday but if it's not don't shoot me coz I'm busy next week… :p Thanks for still reading, your reviews mean a lot.

Next Chapter- MJ wreaks havoc on Jason's parents. And the birth of a new Halliwell child…or two.


	27. MJ: Mischief Jenious

Thanks for your awesometastic reviews! I have the next chapter written on paper but I'm going to stay with my uncle for a while this week and wont have access to my computer so you might be waiting a little longer- but trust me, chapter 28 is well worth the wait!

I have no time to respond to reviews today but really THANK YOU!

This takes place in early July 2008. And it hasn't been proofread so I'm sorry if it sucks…

**Chapter27- MJ: Mischief Jenious**

"But Mommy!" Melinda complained "Why can't I go stay wiv Aunty Paige?"

"MJ, you should know by know; Aunt Paige has gone to Scotland for a little while."

"Why?" Cooed a small and happy voice. Charlotte had just begun talking and, due to her favourite older sister's influence, had begun her 'why' faze a little too early for Phoebe's liking.

"Because Unkie Mark's Mommy lives dere Tarlie." MJ answered. To a certain extent what MJ had said was true, but it was mainly because Paige needed to grieve over Mark somewhere a little closer to his heart than the Manor. Phoebe couldn't deny that she missed her sister terribly, but she knew Paige's absence was necessary to her healing process. Even half a year after Mark's death Paige was still not herself. Yes, she smiled, made conversation, made sarcastic remarks about her sisters and helped vanquish the odd demon or two, but dealing with her pregnancy without a husband had become stressful to the youngest Charmed One and the chance to go to Scotland- to the farmhouse where Mark had spent his childhood- had been too hard for Paige to turn down.

"What 'bout Daddy? I can stay wiv him at da weekend!"

"Sweetie." Phoebe replied "Your father has a business meeting in Chicago this weekend. And before you ask, yes, Danni and Ben are going with him."

"Well why can't I not go to Auntie Piper's wiv you?"

"Because the baby's due any day now and having you there might stress Auntie Piper out a little."

MJ looked up at her mother and put on her famous pout- something Phoebe had never forgiven Paige for teaching her. She hated it when her 'grandparents' visited. They weren't even her real grandparents, but they insisted that she call them Granny and Granda. Mr and Mrs Dean were about the most old fashioned grandparents you could find…anywhere. Mrs Dean was the epitome of stereotypical old woman. She walked with a cane and never once stopped complaining about some aching bone or another. Her face, hidden under a pair of rather large glasses, was layered in makeup, and her pink lipstick never failed to leave a mark on your cheek. Mr Dean was slightly more bearable and often complained about his wife, but he, if you got on his bad side, was not someone you wanted to mess with. He had been in the army for fifteen years of his life and was a fan of discipline…not something MJ agreed with. But what annoyed the little demon/witch the most was when they pinched your cheeks and called you shnookums, even when you threw fireballs at their china plates...

MJ started sniggering at the memory and it was as if her mother could read her mind when she told her sternly "Melinda-Jayne Halliwell, you do not even _think_ of using your powers when your grandparents are here. Got it?" The Deans had been informed of Phoebe's powers not long after Phoebe and Jason had been married, but still were not fully to terms with it.

"Yes..." MJ replied with a falsely innocent smile, which made her look a lot like her Aunt Paige.

"Promise?" Phoebe persisted. She wanted to look good in front of the Deans at all costs.

"Promise," MJ lied, crossing her fingers behind her back.

"Well I know you'll be good for Granny and Granda won't you Pumpkin?" Phoebe said to her youngest daughter as she placed her into the yellow baby-walker.

Charlotte blinked, smiled and let out a squeal of approval. Even at one and a half she knew the words "_Granny and Granda_" meant lots of candy and toys.

"Brown nose!" Melinda-Jayne remarked. She wasn't sure what it meant but she knew that her Uncle Mark used to say it to Uncle Leo a lot when he spoke about the elders.

"Phoebe, Honey! My Parents are here!" Jason's voice echoed up the stairs.

"Yippee!" Phoebe said in false celebration. She didn't much like he Deans either. "I'll be down with the girls in a minute!"

Phoebe hastily buttoned her blouse right up (The Deans didn't approve of her ''revealing clothes') and brushed her shoulder length, dark hair one last time. She picked up Charlotte in one arm and her purse in the other. She watched MJ stomp down the stairs, still pouting and Phoebe began to wonder if the Deans had replaced their china...

"Hi!" She greeted the elderly couple when she reached the living room "How are you?"

"Why, we're just grand!" Mary Dean replied, "Come here shnookums!" She held out her arms and took Charlotte away from her mother. "Look what Granny has for you."

Charlotte's eyes lit up at the sight of the chocolate lollipop in her Granny's hand. She tried to reach out for it but before it was within her reach Jason swiped it from his mother's hand.

"Sorry Mom. We don't want her getting cavities." He said and slyly slipped the lollipop into his own back pocket.

Just as Phoebe was about to offer to put the kettle on, a vibrating in her handbag distracted her attention. She reached into the brown, cord bag and lifted out her phone. "Hello?" She answered worriedly, "Leo? Calm down!- What? when? Just now?- " Her eyes lit up and something which almost looked like relief washed over her face. "Well orb over here and get us right now!" The word 'orb' caught the Deans attention. Phoebe bit on her lip and turned away from the elderly couple before lowering her voice to a mere whisper. "Oh but orb into the conservatory- I don't think the Deans are comfortable with magic yet..."Phoebe hung up and grabbed Jason's arm hastily.

"What?" He asked

"Baby's coming!" She exclaimed, and turned to her in laws. "Sorry to cut it short. You know where everything is. We should be back on Sunday night. MJ should be in bed by eight and make sure she behaves. Charlotte's food is in the second cupboard to the left in the kitchen and if you need anything my sister's number is on the fridge. Gotta go!"

"Bye Mommy!" MJ said, pouting as her mother and stepfather left the room, "Bye JayJay!"

"Bye Sweetheart, bye Pumpkin." Phoebe said, kissing her daughters in turn. "Be good!"

Phoebe and Jason headed to the conservatory where Leo stood waiting. The last MJ saw of them was a shining white light coming from under the door.

"Melinda darling? Be an angel and hang up your Granny and Granda's coats." 'Granda' saiid with a smile, avoiding looking at the room where his son and daughter in law had just orbed from.

MJ looked up at her 'grandparents' and smiled innocently, forming a fireball in her hand. _I'm not an angel, I'm a demon!_ she thought with a smirk.

"Ooopsy..." She said as she threw it into the dustbin. This was gonna be fun...

-------------------------------------

When Leo, Phoebe and Jason appeared in the Manor Piper was lying on her bed, clutching her stomach, having just come out of a contraction. Prue and Andy stood watching, dumbstruck. Having a baby wasn't meant to be sore- the stork was meant to bring it...

"Jason, take the kids downstairs." Leo said, looking relieved that someone had finally arrived. Apparently he wasn't too keen on delivering a baby by himself.

"Okay. Prue? Andy? Who wants to race me to the tree house?" Jason said. He had learned after only once looking after the kids himself the 'orb racing' was a craze with the Halliwell children

"Me!" They both replied and disappeared in a cloud of orbs. Jason began to run out of the room, knowing he had already lost the race, but he seemed happy that he wouldn't have to deal with a woman in labour.

"He's such a kid!" Phoebe said rolling her eyes. She stood in a daze for a moment as if forgetting why she was actually there before Piper's cry of pain brought her back to reality. She walked over to Piper. "Baby time!"

**xxxxx**

An hour and a half later Jason had endured fifteen orb races, Prue and Andy taking it in turns to orb him. Although it had been two years since he and Phoebe had married, he was still not used to orbing. Magic he could handle- heck; he'd even mixed his fair share of potions- but orbing had never settled with him. Unfortunately, if he wanted to keep Prue and Andy distracted from their mother giving birth he had to keep them entertained. What Jason did not know, however, is that what he was suffering with orbing was nothing compared to what his parents were dealing with in Pacific heights.

**xxxxx**

MJ giggled to herself as Eric Dean struggled to put out the fourth fire she had created in the waste bin. Mary Dean was still standing on the couch, afraid that MJ would conjure any more mice to run around under her feet and Charlotte, thoroughly amused by it all, sat in her baby-walker flapping her hands up and down in excitement. Melinda-Jayne had been reeking havok on her 'Granny and Granda' for the past hour and a half and was taking her magic to full advantage.

She stood in the kitchen trying to think up a spell that would move the cookie jar down to her level. The only thing worse than a mischievous MJ would be a mischievous MJ on a sugar high.This was definitely going to be a fun night…

**xxxxx**

"One _big_ push Piper." Phoebe encouraged her sister, placing her hands on Piper's knees ready to push them back when the baby finally made its grand entrance into the Halliwell family..

"I can't." Piper replied through gritted teeth. Sweat was dripping down her brow rapidly and she had such a tight drip on Leo's hand that it was turning more purple than Phoebe's jumper.

"Yes you can." Leo encouraged. He suddenly realised that they had gone through the same thing when Prue had been born. His thoughts were suddenly turned to Mark and what he would be saying if he had been there. He almost smirked thinking about how drugs would help, but Piper clawing at his arm like a bird of prey turned his attention away from thoughts of his passed on friend. "Come on Sweetie." He coached, grinning to bear the pain his wife was inflicting on him.

Piper let out a blood-curdling scream, which was soon joined by the newest set of lungs in the room. Her tears of pain soon turned into tears of joy as she watched Leo cut the umbilical cord

"It's a girl!" Phoebe said with a huge grin as she handed the little bundle of joy to her mother.

"Hey there baby girl!" Leo cooed. His smile lit up the whole room. Tears were rolling down his cheeks and his whole face was a wash of happy pride. The tiny little girl was much smaller than any of the other Halliwell children had been. She looked her father directly in the eyes and Leo remained in awe. Her eyes were the most beautiful he had ever seen. Her left, shocking green, seemed to look right inside him- almost a symbol of her ability to read thoughts- and her right was the captivating doe brown he saw whenever he looked at Piper. She had a tiny button nose- inherited from her mother no doubt- and the smallest mole above her right eye. Leo was truly mesmerised by the beauty of his youngest daughter. It was clear from the moment she reached out to grab his finger that this little lady would be a daddy's girl.

"Look," Piper said. She was smiling a smile that only a new mother could smile. "She takes after Daddy. She's blonde. We don't have one of those yet..."

At that moment Prue and Andy came running into the room at top speed. Jason entered moments later looking slightly woozy and out of breath. He looked as though he was ready to apologise, but when he saw the tiny baby in Piper's arms his face broke into a huge grin and he reached for Phoebe's hand, and with the other wiped the happy tears from her cheeks. Prue and Andy's eyes lit up at the sight of their little sister. Prue leapt onto the bed with so much energy that she startled Piper. Andy attempted to follow, but struggled to climb up. He gigged cheekily when he orbed but both of his parents were too enticed by their new baby to tell him off.

"She looks like a monkey." He said, peering over Prue's shoulder to take a closer look at his little sister. Everyone started to giggle.

"I think she's real pretty." Prue said. Her smile was almost identical to her mother's. "Daddy?" Prue asked as Leo picked her up "What's she called?"

"Well..." Leo said looking at Piper and she nodded. "Amy Helena Halliwell-Wyatt."

"It's perfect." Piper said.

--------------------------------------

eighteen days later. August 2nd 2008

Cole took a seat at the kitchen table and looked up at Leo, who was tickling his tiny daughter with a look of sheer adoration. The ex-demon could not help but smile at his friend. The whitelighter was such a good father. Piper sat next to him with a very angry looking Prue on her knee and a smug looking Andy by her side. Prue's brown eyes were narrowed and she glared at her younger brother. Andy's smirk still did not wipe from his face. MJ stood next to her father, curiously watching her baby cousin get changed and ignoring whatever argument was going on between her other cousins.

"Icky!" She said as Leo moved Amy to the changing mat. "When's Mommy coming?"

"She should be here soon Midget." Cole said, smiling at his daughter, ruffling her hair. He hadn't stopped smiling at his daughter after discovering what had happened with the Deans. He had been thoroughly amused.

"She can take Andy away with her!" Prue said moodily, kicking her legs forward, her pout growing.

"Nu-uh!" The three-year-old little boy exclaimed, "Take away stinky Prue!"

"Stop it you two." Piper said warningly. "And Andy, if you ever TK Prue's dolls onto the roof again I'm going to bind your powers." She looked up at Leo smugly, of course she would never bind any of her children's powers but the threat always seemed to work.

"Sorry." He muttered and scurried over to his new baby sister who was now sitting happily in the baby bouncer. "Hi Amy." He said softly and kissed her on the head. "Your sister is being a stinky witch!"

"Andrew!" his father warned, pointing through the house and Prue smiled, satisfied, as her brother left the room for a timeout. Although he was usually the most angelic of the children, Andrew had definitely inherited his Aunt Prue's temper along with her powers. Sometimes he was so like her it was frightening.

"Cole, could you get that?" Piper asked, as the phone started ringing. She was taking cookies out of the oven and Leo had just gone outside to retrieve Prue's doll from the roof.

"Sure." He replied and walked through to the foyer to answer the call. He smirked. He couldn't believe after all of this time- after trying to kill the charmed ones, after coming incredibly close to killing Mark, after breaking up with Phoebe and after so many heated arguments with Jason- that he was still so welcome in the Halliwell Manor that they trusted him to answer their phone.

Just as he was about to pick up, Phoebe, with her one and a half year old daughter, entered the Manor. Charlotte, inanely babbling to herself began to giggle when she saw him. Cole couldn't deny that Charlotte, despite being Jason's daughter, was a sweetheart. "Hi." He said uncomfortably. Normally he would just drop Melinda-Jayne at the Manor and leave, but today Piper had invited him for lunch and he could hardly refuse. "MJ's waiting in the kitchen."

"And did she tell you about what she did to her grandparents?"

Cole pretended to cough to hide his laughter and replied "Oh yeah- I told her not to use her powers for personal gain anymore..."

"Oh." Phoebe said and almost started to laugh herself. "Melinda-Jayne? I'm coming to find you!" she remarked playfully and tiptoed into the kitchen, allowing her eldest daughter time to hide.

"Hello, Halliwell residence?" Cole eventually answered the phone. Whoever was on the other line must have been very persistent if hey hadn't yet hung up.

"Where could they be?" Phoebe asked, pretending not to notice MJ and Prue hiding under the kitchen table. "Piper, have you seen MJ or Prue?"

"No, I don't know where they are." Piper lied, with a toothy grin.

"Boo!" Both girls yelled, jumping out from their 'hiding place' and both their mothers pretended to jump.

"Where did you come from?" Phoebe asked in mock shock, "Don't tell me you've been hiding?"

"No." Both girls said innocently.

Phoebe placed Charlotte down on the kitchen table and began to babble to her youngest niece. Amy looked thoroughly unamused, but that didn't stop Phoebe from telling her she wanted to 'shmoosh her face'.

"Aren't you just the cutest thing?" She said in a baby voice "Yes you are."

"Aunt Phoebe!" Andy screeched from the hallway and he ran and jumped into his Aunt's arms.

"Hey there big guy!" Phoebe laughed. "How's my favourite nephew today?"

"He's your only nephew, silly!" Prue informed her aunt with a giggle.

"Not any more." Said Cole. He was standing in the doorframe with a beaming smile plastered across his face. They all turned to face him with dazed and confused looks on their faces. He waited for Piper and Phoebe to figure out what he had said but when they both raised enquiring eyebrows he continued, "Baby boy- seven pounds, six ounces. That was Rose Anderson."

"Oh my god!" Piper squealed excitedly. Phoebe began to jump up and down excitedly like a small child at Christmas, but Piper, exhausted from having a two week old, telepathic baby to take care of, did not join in. "How's Paige?"

"Sleeping." Cole replied "But Mrs Anderson wants you to orb over there tonight."

"Aren't you coming?" The eldest Charmed One asked him. She knew how much he cared for Paige and the girls now.

"I'll go another time. I really think she needs her sisters just now."

"Okay!" Replied Phoebe, "But what about the kids?"

"I'm sure Leo and I can handle them." He answered, but seeing the expression on Phoebe's face he quickly added, "And Jason. She thinks that maybe Paige needs you guys there since, well y'know...Mark..."

"Oh." Both of Paige's sisters replied understanding.

"Mommy?" MJ asked in confusion, the cogs in her minds ticking slowly. "Did Aunty Paige have her baby?"

"Yeah sweetie." Phoebe told her with a toothy grin.

"What's she called?" Prue questioned, smiling at the news of her new cousin.

"It was a boy." Piper informed her daughter

"Yes!" Exclaimed Andy, liking the thought of not being the only boy anymore. "What's _he_ called?"

"I don't think he has a name yet." Cole told the room. "I think Paige is letting Laura and Rachael decide."

--------------------------------

An hour later Piper, with her eighteen-day-old daughter sleeping soundly in her pram, and Phoebe sat in the Manor awaiting the arrival of Sam. He appeared at two o'clock on the dot, dressed in a raincoat and holding out an umbrella towards the sisters.

"Why are you wearing that?" Phoebe enquired, "It's August!"

"You forget- we're going to Scotland." Sam said with a grin. He had already been to the small farmhouse where his daughter had been staying but both Paige and the baby had been sleeping. Sam couldn't wait to meet his grandson.

"Oh, yeah- um...just let me go get a coat..."

Piper snorted a laugh as she realised that Phoebe was dressed in a short skirt and blouse. Paige had informed them that Scottish weather was not quite the same as San Francisco, but Phoebe had obviously not been paying the slightest bit of attention.

"Hey there baby girl," Sam cooed at Amy. "She's beautiful Piper. She has your mother's nose."

"Yeah..." Piper said uncomfortably. Although Sam visited on a regular basis since he came into contact with Paige, Piper always felt uncomfortable when he spoke about Patty. She knew that Sam had been her mother's true love but it still made her slightly uncomfortable knowing her mother and father weren't destined to be.

"I'm ready!" Phoebe beamed from the doorway. "Orb me up Sammy..." Piper gave her sister an almost patronising stare. Phoebe sometimes had the strangest sense of humour.

"I hope Leo will be okay...you know how Andy and Prue get..."

"He'll be fine Piper, Now let's go see my grandson!"

With that, Sam took Piper and Phoebe's hands (Piper was holding the pram with her other) and orbed out grinning.

(AN-yes, I know there is a ten-hour time difference between Scotland and SanFran, but SHHH!)

The three adults and tiny baby rematerialised in the kitchen of an old fashioned farmhouse. The wooden floor creaked as they moved but the stonewalls gave the kitchen a homely feel that Piper would have adored in her own kitchen. The mouth-watering smell of a baking cake wafted into the travellers' nostrils and the sound of a boiling kettle also greeted them. Rose Anderson and her son Douglas were sitting at a small circular table deep in conversation about someone named Iain. Piper and Phoebe were sure that Iain was Mark's brother too. Laura was sitting in the corner on a large red rug, surrounded by paper and colouring pencils and Rachael's read hair was only just visible behind the fridge door.

"Greetings from another world." Phoebe said, continuing her theme of bad start trek jokes.

"AUNT PHOEBE!" Laura screamed, her eyes lighting up in joy. She had seen none of her Halliwell family for a month and a half and was apparently overjoyed to see them. Her shouts had caused Amy to wake up and now the curly haired five year old was staring at her newest cousin in awe. She had not yet met Amy and was apparently very taken by her.

"Rachy, come 'ere!"

Both Laura and Rachael gasped and curiously walked towards their baby cousin. Rachael's small hand reached out to touch her youngest cousin and Piper noticed ice chips under her niece's nails. Apparently they had just missed a Rachael temper tantrum. Their first meeting with Amy was cut short by the sound of a screaming baby from somewhere upstairs. But Laura and Rachael did not seem to mind. The thought of their baby brother took their attention form their cousin.

"Laura! You waked up our bruver!" Rachael said hitting Laura on the back with as much force as she could muster.

"Hey!" Laura retaliated, turning and grabbing a handful of Rachael's hair.

"Girls!" Rose said from her seat in the corner "What have I told you about violence? Now go and tell your mummy that your aunties and granddad are here."

Piper Sam and Phoebe watched the two girls toddle towards the stairs hand in hand. They were undoubtedly impressed. Knowing how stubborn their nieces usually were, Rose's ability to stop them arguing seemed almost like a miracle.

"Welcome to the mad house!" Rose said smiling. "Doug will show you where to put your things. This is Doug by the way." The Charmed Ones recognised him vaguely from Paige and Mark's wedding. They gave him polite waves. "We've set up a crib in the spare bedroom for-?"

"Amy." Piper told her smiling. "And thank you."

"Follow me." Said Doug. He had the same muscular build as Mark and had the mysterious blue "Anderson Eyes", but had short spiky ginger hair, the same colour as Rachael's. The complete opposite of Mark's shaggy curls.

He lead them down a broad corridor, which had many family portraits and pictures drawn by children stuck up on the wall. He showed Sam into a small, blue room that consisted of a bed, a set of drawers and a heater. He continued down the corridor and stopped outside a large oak door. He pushed it open with ease and led Phoebe and Piper inside. It was painted cream and terracotta and had a single bed against each wall. Looking out of the widow there was a view of a swing set and a field of sheep- a view which thoroughly amused Phoebe. She had never seen a sheep up close before and now they were a mere hundred feet form her window. A tiny basinet was fitted nicely in between the beds and a huge wardrobe was placed at against the wall nearest the door.

"Sorry you have to share." Doug apologised "It was either this or one of you shared with the girls. Baring in mind you probably couldn't walk for the amount of toys on the floor..." Douglas's rich Scottish accent was much harder to understand than Mark had been, but both of the females went giddy at the sound of it.

"It's perfect, thanks." Phoebe interrupted. She didn't see any need for him to apologise. The room was _huge_. In fact, the whole house was huge!

"Well, I suppose you want to go meet your nephew?" He asked them with a smile. "And your cousin." He added, making a smooching face towards Amy. Much to Piper's delight Amy smiled and let out an amused squeal. Mark's brother apparently had the same love of kids as he did.

"Yay! Babies!" Phoebe squealed bouncing around in a childish manner. "Lets go!"

"Right this way- God I feel like a tour guide!" When he had said that he had sounded so much like Mark it was unbelievable, but Piper and Phoebe tried to keep their thoughts of their lost brother-in-law to a minimum. With a telepathic baby around you had to try and think happy thoughts…all the time…

The girls once more followed Doug down the corridor. Piper held Amy in her arms and bounced her gently to get her to sleep. They met Sam back at the kitchen where his granddaughters were clobbering him.

"I gots a good name!" Rachael said, looking positively delighted with herself. "Harry!"

"No! That's an icky name! Lets call him Ron!"

The argument continued all the way up the stairs and was ended by a very tired looking Paige, who emerged from a room, wearing an oversized bathrobe and a pair of cotton pyjamas. Bags had already formed under her eyes and her hair was tousled and greasy. It was the first time her sisters had seen her for a while however, so they did not care.

"I told you already I'm not naming him after Harry Potter characters!" Paige said and she beamed a huge smile "They already suggested Hagrid and Sirius!"

Phoebe, Sam and Piper, with her free arm, all hugged Paige tightly. She hugged back with gratitude. She had missed them so much.

"How you felling sweetheart?" Sam asked

"Tired mostly." Paige answered honestly "And happy." She let out a tired yawn before realising that Piper held Amy in her arms. "Oh my god Piper! She is gorgeous!"

Piper handed Amy over to her sister for their first meeting. Paige smiled. The smile brought tears into Piper and Phoebe's eyes. They hadn't seen her smile like that since January.

"Hey Amy." Paige said in a soft whisper. "Do you wanna meet your little cousin?"

Amy let out a squeal, which Paige took as a yes. She handed the baby back to Piper and shuffled quietly into her room. A large double bed, with messed up red sheets was pushed against the far wall and there was a wall of cupboards to the left. The walls, with the exception of the cupboards, were painted dark red, but despite the dark colours, a large window very brightly lighted the room. Underneath the window stood a small, white basinet, which was surrounded by soft toys that Piper and Phoebe recognised belonged to their nieces.

"Hey there baby," Paige said as leant into the bassinet. Piper and Phoebe found themselves holding their breath. This tiny baby was prophesized to be the most powerful of its kind. It had vanquished Decron from inside the womb. It was hard to believe that the tiny wriggling infant, which Paige now held in her hands, held so much power. His head held a mass of dark hair- hair that would undoubtedly turn into curls- and his tiny hands clung tightly to Paige's. His nose appeared to be the only one of his features that he had not inherited from his father. Even at a few hours old he seemed to have Mark's sturdy jaw. And, of course, he had hi father's eyes. Eyes you could get lost in for hours.

The small baby continued to wriggle in his green blankets as Paige passed him to her father. Sam's eyes filled with tears of joy as he got a look at his grandson. Paige had been so introverted for the past eight months and now, she seemed to be almost back to normal. "Who's a big guy?" Sam smiled. The little boy waved his arms aimlessly, innocence radiated from him as he gave a tiny cough. Sam could not believe that this baby was so powerful, He seemed so small- so blameless.

It was not long before the happy aunties were ogling of the surprisingly calm baby. ""Hey there baby." Phoebe said, puckering her lips. He just responded with a yawn.

"Y'see Phoebs! You're boring him already!" Piper said with a smirk. "Let Auntie Piper hold him."

Phoebe and Piper 'swapped babies' and each made an identical 'you're so cute' face. The little boy took an immediate liking to his Aunt Piper, reaching out and gabbing her finger excitedly. Piper's grin matched Paige's. "Does he have a name yet?" The eldest Charmed One asked her 'baby' sister.

"Not yet. I have a few in mind though." Paige smiled towards her son and averted her gaze towards her daughters.

"What about-" Laura started.

"No Harry Potter characters." Paige told them, cocking a brow with a smirk.

"Oh…okay." Laura sighed. "What do you think Mommy?"

"Well…" Paige hesitated. She locked eyes with her sisters and began to pick at her cuticles nervously. "I was thinking…maybe…Warren…"

"I likes it!" Rachael announced with a giggled.

"I love it!" Piper and Phoebe agreed in unison. Paige smiled.

"I've been thinking." The youngest Charmed one began. "These past eight years have been the best of my life. I never thought that in a million years I'd have sisters, especially ones as great as you." She looked towards the floor bashfully. "And I figured that I may never have even met you if it hadn't been for Melinda Warren…what better way to thank her than to name my son after her…"

"It's perfect Paige," Piper told her sister with tears glistening her eyes. Seven months ago Paige had been on the bridge of chronic depression, but she had pulled through.

"And," Paige continued, but turned towards her father. "I want to make one of his middle names Samuel."

Pride shone in Sam's eyes as he wrapped his arm around Paige's waist and planted a fatherly kiss on her hair. "It would be an honour." He smiled.

"What about the second middle name?" Phoebe asked, though the answer was clearly obvious.

"Mark." Paige replied and it sounded as if a lump had formed in her throat. "Warren Samuel Mark Anderson…"

Paige watched her sisters and father play with the girls and she hugged her son close. As happy as she was to have a son, she still couldn't help but to think of Mark. He had always wanted a son and now that he had one he wasn't here to share it. She felt her heart shatter as a sudden jolt of realisation hit her- Warren had no father. Paige knew her sisters, their husbands and her father would be there to help her through it, but bringing up three children alone was something Paige was scared of. Her head filled with the thoughts that she was sure she had rid herself of. Mark should never have died-It should have been her.

She stared around the room, which she and Mark had shared on many occasions. She could almost smell his smell of tobacco mixed with oranges and she missed him now more than ever. Her son, so small and so innocent, looked up at her with his father's eyes and she couldn't hold it together anymore.

"I'm so sorry," She whispered to him and she placed him in his basinet before collapsing onto the bed with tears forming in her eyes. Using all of her willpower she managed to stop them falling, but her sisters noticed.

Piper and Phoebe did not need to ask what was wrong with their sister to know. They looked at their nieces, who looked slightly confused as to why their mother had gone through such a sudden change of mood.

"Come on girls." Sam said, sensing that the sisters needed a moment. "Lets go watch Harry Potter."

Laura and Rachael reluctantly left their mother and Sam took Amy from Piper. "Look after her." He whispered, motioning to Paige. "I'll take the girls downstairs."

Piper and Phoebe looked from each other to their sister and went to hug her. Paige brushed her tears away and accepted her sisters' hugs.

"Sorry." She said with a sniff and rolling her eyes at her own ridiculousness.

"It's okay honey, we know." Piper soothed, kissing Paige's head.

"It's just…I wish he had been here to see him..." Shrugging off her sisters' hugs she walked over to the basinet and lowered her face to meet Warren's. "Your Daddy loves you." She told him with a bittersweet smile.

AN- Yay for babies! Lol. I wanted to include more of MJ's mischief in this chapter but I thought of a perfect place to put it in later chapters so be patient. The Deans will return… Right, I'm sorry to say that the next chapter might take a while longer. I'm going to stay with my Uncle for three days this week, and then the new Harry Potter book comes out! YAY! **Dances** But I PROMISE Chapter 28 is well worth the wait.

Next Chapter- 'Let's do the Time Warp…again'- Piper centred. Piper and Phoebe cast a spell to help them get to know their sister a little better…but when do spells ever go right for the Halliwells? Piper finds herself in a place she never thought she'd go again, and comes face to face with…let's just say a few familiar faces…

Right, I want to do some recommendations of fics which I think are definitely worth reading so:

**Secrets and Whitelighters** by **Money Makes Me Smile**

**Simply Charmed, Being Charmed **and** Charmtopia **by **Prince Halliwell**

**Broken Eternity, Heaven's a Lie **and** Sugar Sensitive** by **BlueOrbs998**

**Born Like This** by **.elementbabe.**

Even though I'm only halfway through, **A power divided** (and I haven't read it yet, but I'm sure it's as good as the other- **United as Three**) by **RJF**

And there are too many fics by her to recommend but _anything_ by **powerof4 **is definitely worth reading!

**Actions have consequences** by **Charmed1s-Halliwells**

**Eternally Charmed** (and prequels) by **Peanut2lb**

**Every Halliwell Counts **(And prequels) by** Princess Pinky**

**Spirits of the Sisterhood** by **RED5**

**Legacy: Part one **by** Ryeloza**

**Heaven knows I'm miserable now **by** Leigh1986**


	28. Voice of an Angel

Yo bodacious dudes and dudettes! (Yes, you are correct in sensing I've been watching Wayne's World (It's Wayne's World! Party Time! Excellent!) …Right, I've been bad and changed the contents of this chapter because there was something I _had _to add in at the beginning, which made the chapter too long. So I'm leaving you with a cliffhanger…kinda. :p

LeoPiper-Forever- You want Leo? You'll have to fight me for him:p Muahahahha! I'm glad you like it! Thankles for the review!

Phiona- I'm glad you liked the name. And sorry for not updating on Sunday, but I hope you had a good birthday!

Moonfirefairy- Thanks for the review. I thought I made it really obvious what Amy and Warren's powers were...

BlueOrbs998- Okay, dude! I seriously think you are clairvoyant...and that's all I'll say :p Thanks for yet another awesomely awesome review! I walked around with an inane grin on my face for a week! lol! And as for a Paige/Piper/Cole scene, your wish is my command (But be patient, it'll be in a later chapter:p)

Money Makes Me Smile- Ooh, Kerr Smith... I knew you'd like 'cooed'! lol! Yes, Paige did get her powers back...did I forget to write that...damn!

Powerof4- Thanks for the review! I'm sorry you don't like the name :( But don't worry, my Warren won't be killing Tara any time soon! You'll see quite a bit of his personality in the next chapter...I hope you like him...

Prince Halliwell- Thanks! Heehee, I thought you'd like the MJ mischief :p And I think you'll be seeing a lot more of Charlotte in the near future. Also, I'm gonna dedicate the next chapter to you instead because it is fully Piper based and this one isn't any more. So don't think I've forgotten! Lol.

RJF- Thanks! Heehee, orb trips to Scotland! There will be many more of them in the future... And a lot more of Cole too. I'm glad you like 'my' Cole. :D

.elementbabe. - Thanks for the review.

PrincessPrue- Thanks Mags! Here's the chapter you've been waiting for :p

**Chapter28- Voice of an Angel**

Clutching her pink Carebear close to her chest, Rachael slowly and shakily pulled the bed covers over her head. Her deep breathing, only just heard over the raging storm and heavy rain lashing against her window, became increasingly louder. Panic was radiating from the tiny redhead. The booming thunder struck fear into her heart. The power had cut out half an hour ago and Rachael, too frightened by the storm to move from her room, remained in her bed with her Minnie Mouse flashlight as her only source of comfort.

Everywhere she looked, an ominous looking shadow penetrated terror into her heart. She wanted more than anything to run through to her mother's room, but since they had moved into Uncle Cole's old apartment, Paige's room had been all the way at the other side of their home. An echoing boom of thunder sent chills down Rachael's spine. She clutched her Carebear so tightly that if it had been a real animal it almost certainly would be dead. She was trembling in fear and her jaw was quivering. Rachael did not realise the thick coat of ice forming on her mattress as ice chips sparked rapidly from her fingertips.

Another crash of thunder and Rachael's heart skipped a beat. She took a sharp intake of breath and clutched her Carebear even closer to her chest. It too, was covered in frost from Rachael's fingers. It was times like these when she envied her family's orbing power. She wanted so badly to crawl into bed with her mother and be protected from the raging storm. Deciding that she could not stay alone any longer, the tiny redhead slowly and shakily brought her duvet from off of her head and began to slip a small foot out of the bed. She closed her eyes, not wanting to encounter the evil shadows which were lurking around every corner and slipped out of her bed.

CRASH!

Rachael nearly jumped out of her skin. She let out a small scream and leapt back into her bed. The covers made a small tent over her head and her flashlight was keeping the shadows away, but Rachael had not been more scared since…since Decron had kidnapped she and her sister. As she gulped back tears of fear, her mind turned to her father. There had been a song he had sung to her whenever she had been frightened before. And as she began to hum the tune a certain level of calm settled on her.

"_A gentewl bweeze fom Hushabye Mountain…_" Her voice was shaking as the words escaped her lips but she continued, "_Softy blows ober Lullaby Bay… It fiws da sails of boats dat a' waitn'… Waitin' to saiw yo' wowwies away…_"

Her voice trailed off. She could not remember the rest of the words. The safe feeling the song had momentarily given her quickly melted away and her jaw began to quiver. But then she heard it, It rang out through the terrifying sounds of the storm like an angel's melody, but it hit Rachael's heart like a ton of bricks.

"_It isn't far to Hushabye Mountain. And your boat waits down at the key. The winds of night so softly are sighing. Soon they will fly your troubles to sea…_"

He was finishing the song. She knew his voice immediately- the mellow and raspy, yet strangely beautiful tone- but she refused to believe it was real. It couldn't be real. He was dead. Her father was dead.

"_So close your eyes on Hushabye Mountain. Wave goodbye to cares of the day. And watch your boat from Hushabye Mountain, Sail far away from Lullaby Bay…_"

And then the song ended, but Rachael still remained calm. Whoever had been singing created a peaceful and protective atmosphere. One Rachael had only ever felt around two people: Her father and her Uncle Leo. But this could not have been Leo. She had heard him sing and it was, for lack of a better term, dire. Her mind wondered in thought. Had her father been singing to her from heaven? It was impossible. She knew not to get her hopes up.

CRASH!

The thunder seemed louder than ever this time. Fear crept slowly back into Rachael's heart. An eerie flash lit up the room followed by yet another loud crash and the three-year-old redhead began to whimper.

"Mommy," She whispered, not forgetting about the calming voice which had snag to her, but continuing to tell herself it was her imagination. "Mommy?" Her voice cracked as a pleading expression formed on her face.

"Snowflake." It was not her mother's voice. But there had only ever been two people who called her snowflake. And this voice sounded remarkable like the voice which had just been singing-like the voice of her daddy. Fear remained in her heart, but a small spark of hope joined it. Her daddy was an angel now. The voice must have been a trick of the storm… But it had sounded so real.

Now almost the entire surface of the bed was covered in a layer of frost and ice. It was continuing to flow from her fingertips, but Rachael seemed unaware.

"Snowflake." The voice came again. Rachael's breath caught in her throat. "It's really me." Maybe he _was _really here.

Timidly, never letting go of the Carebear her father had given her the previous Christmas, the redhead lifted off her duvet cover tent. Once again, she kept her eyes tight shut fearing what she would see when she opened them. However. when she caught a waft of the smell which reminded everyone so strongly of her father- the scent of oranges mixed with tobacco- her eyes sprang open in hope.

And then she saw him. Her heart pumped rapidly in her chest- faster than the three-year-old could ever remember it beating- and tears strolled freely down hr cheeks. No longer tears of fright, but of both sorrow and joy. Her brilliant white, but slightly crooked teeth were shown in a huge smile which seemed to stretch from ear to ear.

"Daddy." She gasped, leaping from the bed and bounding across the dark room towards him. She did not take notice of his strange attire- full Scotsman outfit- as she jumped into his open arms. "I missded you." She told him through a small happy sob.

She gazed into his face. He had not changed a bit but for a long, damaged scar which stretched across his left cheek. His slightly worn face too, was glazed in hot tears.

"I miss you too." He told her quietly.

Another boom of thunder echoed through the stormy night sky and Rachael's grip on her father's hand tightened. "Shh," He soothed, running his free hand through his youngest daughter's sleek ginger hair. "It's just a storm. Be a big brave girl for Daddy, okay?" Just his voice made Rachael feel safe. She remained silent, but her eyes never left his face, as if frightened that if they did he would disappear. Sleep was beginning to was over her, but, through a huge yawn, Rachael managed to ask her father the question he appeared to be dreading.

"Daddy," She said, a heart wrenching look in her blue eyes, "You won't go away again, wiw you?"

Mark sighed and looked towards the ceiling, unable to make eye contact with his daughter. "I will _always_ be watching over you." He told her and in her sleepy state his answer seemed satisfactory. The next crash of thunder brought no fear into Rachael at all and before she knew it she had drifted to sleep in Mark's arms, unaware of the salty tears streaming down his cheek or his troublesome expression.

**xxxxx**

The next morning Rachael was wakened and found herself in her own bed. Her memory of the previous night was somewhat hazy and when she saw that it had been her mother who had woken her, her heart sank. It had all been a dream- a stupid dream. She was never going to see her father again.

"Snowflake, what's wrong?" Paige asked in deep concern seeing the sullen expression appear on Rachael's face.

"I-" She began, looking desperately at her mother. She did not know what to say. "I dweamed about Daddy last night…" She looked down, not meeting Paige's eyes. "…I miss him."

Paige suddenly looked sorrowful, angry and upset all at the same time. She placed her hand on Rachael's petite shoulder and gave her a sympathetic smile. "He misses you too honey…"

"I know." Rachael replied, startling her mother. "He telled me in my dweam."

**xxxxx**

By the time Paige had all the kids up, dressed and fed, Rachael did not look any happier. The tremendous hope and joy she had been feeling had been ripped out of her, and it hurt. Mark had been gone for ten months now and things were beginning to seem normal, but Rachael had been changed for the worst. She would never be the same again.

A loud knock on the apartment door drew Paige's attention from her youngest daughter. Laura jumped from her seat, where she had been putting her colouring pencils into her Tinkerbelle schoolbag and started towards the door. As she skipped, her ponytail brushed her shoulders and her grey school pinafore bounced in time with the skips. Her maroon blazer, which had been tied around her waste, slipped slowly down and eventually fell onto the floor unnoticed by Laura. Of course, because Laura simply refused to wear dull colours, she had a pair of lime green tights with fuchsia pink flowers embroidered on them, but she certainly looked smart in her school uniform.

She stretched up to open the door and was greeted by a face she was mildly surprised to see. "Auntie Phoebe!" She beamed, "Charlie!"

"Hey sweetie." Phoebe greeted her niece, placing Charlotte on the floor.

"Lola!" Charlotte giggled excitedly, grabbing her cousin's hand. "Go skull." She chirped, pointing at Laura's 'San Francisco Elementary' logo.

"It's school silly." Laura said with a Paige-like roll of her eyes. "What is you doing here Auntie Phoebe?"

"Yeah Phoebs," came Paige's voice. "Shouldn't you be at work?"

"Wednesday's my day off." Phoebe reminded her sister with a smile. "I just dropped MJ at Cole's. I'm meeting Piper outside the school and we're heading for some coffee, do you want to come?"

"I don't know…" Paige looked a little reluctant, "Rachael's a little upset about something and I don't think Warren would cope well with all those people…"

"Paige." Phoebe said firmly, "Stop making excuses. You know Warren is a little people person and maybe Rach will cheer up if she's with her cousins. We hardly ever get to spend time with you any more. We're your sisters. We miss seeing you so often!"

The look Phoebe was giving her was the look Paige hated. One which was enough to drive guilt into a person's heart and make it almost impossible to refuse. "Okay." She sighed. "Just give me two minutes to get the kids ready."

Phoebe saved her satisfied smirk until Paige had turned away.

**xxxxx**

Paige pulled up behind Phoebe outside the school. She lifted Warren, who was sound asleep, out of the car and held him to her chest. She proceeded to open the back door for Laura and Rachael to climb out and clutched her youngest daughter's hand as they walked towards the school gate.

"Guess what we gots today?" Laura said excitedly skipping ahead of her mother and siblings.

"What Pixie?" Paige replied with a genuine interest as to what was making Laura so excited.

"Arts and crafts!" Laura yelled excitedly and a little too loudly for Warren's liking as he began to cry. "Oops… I'm soree Warren." She gulped, turning back to her brother. But Warren soon calmed down and Laura pecked him on he forehead in a bid farewell.

"Bye sweetie." Paige said, accepting her kiss on the cheek from her eldest. "Have fun, and be good."

"I'm always good." Laura said with an innocent smirk. "Bye Mommy! Bye Rachy! By Warren!"

Paige watched her daughter skip into the playground and excitedly join Shauna Morris by the hopscotch. She had to admit that Laura's enthusiasm for school was one thing she did not inherit from her mother, but more from her Auntie Piper. As she turned back to her car where she knew Phoebe, and very probably Piper, would be standing, she was startled by the sudden appearance of a rather handsome man behind her.

"Sorry." She muttered, having walked straight into him.

"That's quite alright." He replied with a smile, his floppy brown hair falling into his equally dark eyes as he smiled. He had a broad New York accent and Paige had to admit he was rather attractive, but nothing compared to what Mark had been. "Hayden Smith." He said, offering his hand. Of course, Paige accepted, but a little reluctantly. She did not like feeling attracted to someone else.

"Paige Anderson." She replied.

"Oh, I know." He said, startling Paige slightly. She must have clearly looked alarmed because Hayden continued with an explanation. "My daughter Morgan is friendly with Laura. They're both in Mrs Mottram's class.

"Oh." Paige did recall Laura talking about a Morgan Smith so she relaxed somewhat, but she could feel Rachael getting impatient at her side, and also see Phoebe's eyes watching her like a hawk. "That's right." She could almost sense Rachael's impatient frustration so decided to include her in the conversation. "This is my other daughter Rachael, and her brother Warren."

"Hi," Rachael said with a scowl. Why was her mommy talking to other men?

"Well hello there." Hayden said, ruffling her hair. An angry blast of ice shot from her hand, bu she quickly hid it behind her back in the hopes that he had not seen anything. Apparently he hadn't because he continued. "I don't mean to sound very forward, but Morgan told me about your husband… I was wondering if you might like to grab a bite to eat sometime…?"

Paige couldn't help but smile. He was charming and most certainly cute, but every time she found herself smiling, guilt and anger towards herself bubbled inside of her.

"I…um…" How did she reject someone so nice? "I just don't think…"

"Don't think your ready?" He finished her sentence. How had he known? "I was the same after Samantha- my wife- was killed… drunk driver hit her. Morgan was only two."

Paige was amazed at how openly he could talk about it. Would she ever be able to talk about Mark like that? "Well…I'll see you around." She said and hurried away before the conversation could get any further. Unfortunately when she reached her car, Phoebe was ready with an interrogation.

"Who was that Missy Paige?"

"His name was Hayden Smith. He's one of Laura's friend's dad." Paige narrowed her eyes. Phoebe looked ready to play cupid and Paige did _not_ want to go on a date with that man. She did not want to go on a date with anyone.

"He looked like he was flirting…" Phoebe grinned, bouncing Charlotte on her hip.

"He asked if I wanted to go out sometime." Paige told her. "And before you ask, I told him no." Paige was glad to see Rachael climbing into the car and she herself pushed past her sister to strap Warren into his car seat. She had never felt so guilty in he life…not since high school at least. How could she even have considered dating another man? How could she even have given him a second glance? She was horrified with herself. "I'm so sorry." She whispered quietly, clutching her wedding ring tightly, with the sudden urge to visit Mark's grave.

"You know what Phoebs, I'm not really in the mood for coffee today. How about we catch up on Saturday instead?"

"But-" Before Phoebe could object, Paige was already sitting in the car. She gave her younger sister a wave goodbye wearing a quizzical expression on her face. And as Paige pulled out, Piper pulled in.

"Isn't Paige coming?" Piper asked, slightly disappointed, letting Prue out of the car.

"I-well- She was going to and then some guy asked her if she wanted to go out some time and she just…left."

**xxxxx**

When they had reached the coffee house, the conversation about Paige was continuing. Amy had remained at home with her father so only Andy and Charlotte joined their mothers, but were happily sufficed with their large portions of carrot cake and chocolate milk.

"I'm worried about her." Phoebe told her big sister sincerely, taking a sip of her latte.

"Me too Phoebs, but what can we do?" Piper replied, wiping the spill of chocolate milk Andy had just made on his clean, red, Batman T-shirt. "She lost Mark. And I know that was almost a year ago, but it takes time for wounds to heal."

"But after Andy died Prue met Jack and-"

"Phoebs, Paige isn't Prue. Everyone deals with things in their own way and at their own pace. Think about it, if Jason died tomorrow you wouldn't get over him quickly would you?"

"I guess you're right." Phoebe replied. But then again, when wasn't Piper right? From living with a family of whitelighters Piper had become very in touch with people's emotions and had developed a very good advice giving side. Almost as good as Phoebe and she was the empath! "But I just wonder if Paige will ever be the same again?"

"Me too…" Piper had to admit that although she had sometimes been irritated by Paige's childish sense of humour and stubborn temper, she missed her baby sister. It wasn't just the personality she missed either. Paige had not cast a spell- at least not one Piper or Phoebe could recall- since Mark's death. They knew her powers had returned to her after Decron's death, but she very rarely used them any more. It suddenly dawned on two thirds of the Power of Three that perhaps the problem was deeper than they thought.

"You don't think we could…" Piper picked up on Phoebe's thought train immediately. It technically wouldn't be personal gain…

"What if we just cast a spell to-" She had not realised that she had been speaking so loudly and a few heads turned to give her a very curious stare. So she lowered her voice and pretended her conversation was perfectly normal- as if she were discussing clothes or food. "To find out if Paige will ever return to her normal self?"

"Or maybe one to help us understand her pain? So we can, y'know, help her more better?"

"Phoebs, that was the worst piece of grammar I've ever heard…" She gave a snort of laughter, which Andy imitated, though he was unsure why he was doing so. "But actually a good idea."

"And, it won't be personal gain because the problem is affecting her powers and that concerns the greater good." Phoebe continued, actually amazed that Piper was willing to cast a spell.

"Well, let's get back to the Manor."

**xxxxx**

The older two Charmed Ones stood in the Halliwell Manor attic. Leo had gladly accepted a chance to look after the kids. Of course, they had not told him of their plans to cast a spell because he would, undoubtedly, have gone to 'check with the elders'. It was an odd feeling as they stood there with the scroll of parchment, which had the spell written on it. They could not remember the last time they had cast a spell together that was not to vanquish a demon or warlock. And both found themselves hit with the memory of when they had cast a spell to find a man. That had been ten years ago- a frighteningly long time.

"You ready for this?" Phoebe asked, slipping her glasses on.

"Yeah." Piper replied. There was something in her gut telling her that this spell would backfire, but she was too insistent on helping her sister to care. They both took a deep breath and began to read from the parchment. (AN- I apologise profusely for the supreme cackness of this spell.)

"We call upon the powers of love. Our sister's lost her power to love. Help us feel our sister's pain. Tell us if she'll be the same again."

**xxxxx**

Phoebe kept her eyes tightly closed. The spell didn't appear to be doing anything. In fact, the only thing she had felt was a small tug in her stomach. No power advancement that she was aware of, or no change of location.

"Fat lot of use that was." She said, opening her eyes to fins herself standing in exactly the same spot as before. "Piper?" Curious as to why her sister had not replied, Phoebe turned to her left only to find Piper was not there. "Oh yeah, sure. Work for _her_!"

"Who are you talking to honey?" Came a voice from the door. A voice which had not called her honey for a _very_ long time.

"_What?_" She gasped, turning to face the doorway where Cole stood with a goofy grin on his face. "Did you just call me _honey?_"

"Isn't that what I usually call you?" He asked, looking tremendously confused. "Are you okay?"

"I…uh…I'm fine. I just need to find Piper."

"She left for P3 half an hour ago Phoebe." Cole said, and a mischievous grin spread across his face, "Which means we have the house all to ourselves…" She strode across the attic and wrapped his arms around her, placing his hands firmly on her butt and giving it a tight squeeze. She had to admit Cole knew exactly how to please her, but she was as confused as sin as to what was happening. When he leaned in for a kiss, she pursed her lips together and pulled away.

"Phoebs, what's the matter?" He asked, looking slightly rejected.

"I…uh…I've got my period." She lied. Whatever warped universe she was in she did not want to mess it up. "And I _really _need to talk to Piper."

"Okay," Cole replied with a pretend pout, "I can wait. I guess I'll just go and buy you presents…"

Phoebe gave him a forced smile and dashed towards the door. This was beginning to get a little weird.

"Wait!" Cole called before she could place a foot on the top stair. "Did you change your hair?" He asked curiously.

"Um…no! I just tied it back." And then before he could say another word Phoebe was running at top speed down the attic stairs. She passed the portraits of Grams, of Charlotte Warren and of Brianna Wentworth…the one Phoebe knew she had in her own house. The one which was also hanging where the photo of Prue's first ballet recital now hung. When she reached the corridor she headed straight towards Andy's bedroom in a mad panic, hoping that her worries were not necessary. But they were. What should have been Andy's room was most definitely not the room of a three-year-old boy. No. It was the room of none other than Phoebe herself. The room which had been hers seven years ago at least.

"Damn it!" Phoebe cursed, "I hate time travelling!"

**xxxxx**

Slowly, Piper brought a hand to her forehead and groggily opened her eyes, which were beginning to focus on her surroundings. She found herself still in the attic, but sitting on the floor, her back resting against the loveseat she was sure was in the living room…

She remained seated on the floor, rubbing her head which felt as though it had been slammed against a wall, and she squinted her eyes. Something about the attic was different, but she couldn't put her finger on what it was. And her eyesight seemed to have worsened considerably in the past two minutes. As if she suddenly needed glasses. For a moment she stopped in a dead panic. Had she somehow switched bodies with Phoebe? But a quick examination of her body told her she was still herself…but wearing different clothes.

Hearing footsteps on the creaky wooden stairs, Piper jerked her head towards the door. She hoped it was Phoebe come to tell her that all the spell had done to her was change her outfit too. She shook her hear, trying to get a clear chain of thoughts and her long ponytail brushed her back- a ponytail Piper had definitely not put in that morning. Something funny was going on here.

When the door creaked open, the eldest Charmed One prepared to see her younger sister, but instead she found herself face to face with a complete stranger. 'Demon!' her mind screamed. She could feel the power radiating from the young man, At six foot his stance was somewhat looming, but he was too thin to be terribly dangerous- physically at least. The floppy, sandy hair, which fell over his face, gave him a slightly rugged appearance but he did not intimidate Piper in any way. In fact, he almost looked like the kind of guy she would have hung out with at school- a little dorky, but very handsome, with a great sense of humour. However, Piper pushed this thought to the back of her mind. Looks could be deceiving. She had learnt that from both Cole and Paul McFarland.

"Who the hell are you?" She asked accusingly. But the young man's smile broadened.

"Ha ha, very funny!" He moved towards her and offered her his hand. She just stared at him, utterly bewildered. She remembered the time Paige had gotten sucked into an alternate reality. Was she in one of those? The stranger shook his head, apparently in amusement, causing his hair to fall away from his face. In doing this he revealed the most beautiful pair of sharp green eyes Piper had ever seen. But she had seen them before. She saw them every day. However, she refused to believe this was him. She jerked backwards causing the young man to roll his eyes and Piper's jaw nearly hit the floor. He had perfected Paige's eye roll down to an art. This was him.

"Andy?" She gasped.

AN- Oooh! Lol! Can you see why the next chapter is called 'Let's do the Time Warp…Again'? Lol. The summary I left for what was going to be this chapter is now the summary for the next one. I hope you enjoyed that! Anyway, Until next time my pretties…remember to review!


	29. Let's do the time warpagain!

Heylo dudes! Thanks for your reviews  I'm so chuffed! Lol. Sorry the replies are kinda short, I'm not in a very cheery mood today.

Cherry7up- (I drank some of that today! Hah) Thanks for the review!

Rebanana- I wish we had camp over here! Lol. And yes, I have read Harry Potter! **opens eyes in shock** I hate snape! **Cries**. But I'm still convinced he's good… Thanks for the review!

Ravena Storm- Thanks! I feel so flattered! I'm glad you like it D

Fanmania- You'll se how it will help Paige soon  Thanks for the review

Money makes me smile- Haha! Your reviews always rock! Maybe it was Greenlighter, maybe it wasn't :p And I'm sorry to say Hayden Smith will be back… Rambling rules! Lol!

BlueOrbs998- if there were an award for best review ever given, that review would win! I am SO happy D But don't count your chickens before they're hatched…this chapter is pretty bad! Lol. I too worship P/K, but I don't think Kyle would fit into this at all. If he doesn't come backinto Charmed next season for at least 1 episode, my flying monkey will be paying Brad Kern a visit! And you will see more of Hayden. Thanks fore he awesomely awesome rocking review!

Powerof4- don't worry, all will be explained! & Yes I read Harry Potter six in fourteen hours flat (or something! Lol) Duhuhude! And I really liked Tara! I cry every time I watch the ep where she dies! Lol.

Charmed1s-Halliwell- Thanks for the review! You think it was really Mark? We'll see…

.elementbabe.- Thanks for the review!

RJF- thanks for the review (for this and chapters 1-6 D I'm now glad we don't have proper school uniforms! Lol! I'm glad you liked it!

Prince Halliwell- Thanks for the review! Hayden Smith will be here again unfortunately…

LeoPiperforever- Thanks for the review! I want a batman T-shirt too! Lol.

This chapter didn't turn out as well as I thought it would, but I hope you enjoy it anyway! And for the purposes of the plot, Prue died in late January.

This is for Liam 

**Chapter29- Let's do the Time Warp…again**

The stranger shook his head, apparently in amusement, causing his hair to fall away from his face. In doing this he revealed the most beautiful pair of sharp green eyes Piper had ever seen. But she had seen them before. She saw them every day. However, she refused to believe this was him. She jerked backwards causing the young man to roll his eyes and Piper's jaw nearly hit the floor. He had perfected Paige's eye roll down to an art. This was him.

"Andy?" She gasped.

"Well, yeh Mom!" He smiled; Piper didn't take her eyes off him. "Who were you expecting? The Spanish Inquisition?"

Piper tried to make her dazed and astounded grin look somewhat amused. Apparently Andy also had the Halliwell sarcasm. He was still smirking at her and holding out his hand in an offer to help her to her feet. '_God, he looks like Leo,_' Piper thought in awe. Her son was definitely a very handsome, albeit geeky, young man. He had shaggy, mouse-brown hair which fell to just below his ears. His bangs nearly covered his eyes but there was enough of the shocking green showing to make Piper mesmerised. The mole on his left cheek defined his cheekbones and his slightly off centre nose gave Piper the impression that Andy had been in one too many demon battles. He was dressed in a pair of old jeans which were full of holes, but Piper suspected they were supposed to be like that. His dark green T-shirt bore the words "I'm not weird, I'm gifted", which Piper thought was an understatement for any member of the Halliwell family. But it was his smile that really caught Piper's attention. It was exactly like Leo's. Just looking at the man her little boy was going to become made Piper feel slightly overwhelmed. Her little Andy- Her little Prince- was one day going to become this young man in front of her. It was an almost scary thought.

When Andy's brow knitted, Piper wondered why he suddenly looked worried. But then it dawned on her that he was probably not used to his mother staring at him as if it were the first time she had ever laid eyes on him. Almost unable to take her eyes away from her son, she knew that she couldn't let him know she was not from his time, so she averted her gaze.

The attic looked remarkably different. The thick wooden floor panels had been covered by an array of mismatching rugs- one which particularly caught Piper's notice was a tremendously gruesome orange and yellow shag carpet, with frayed edges and a large, crimson potion stain in the centre. Why her future self would ever keep something like that in the house she did not know. Replacing the variety of dolls and toys Piper had grown so accustomed to in her own home were items she could never imagine keeping: footballs, bikes and racks of clothes stood at the side of the room, surprisingly, in an orderly way. The living room suite, as she had thought, was now in the attic, replacing the aged love seat, which Piper had been used to seeing in her attic since she had become a witch. Many more potion stains and scorch marks adorned the attic walls and its antique furniture, but it was surprisingly tidy. There was no cat litter tray, no cluttering items, no Book of Shadows…

Even in the rather unlikely situation she was in, Piper went into panic mode. No book? That meant evil had gotten it, or that it had been destroyed or worse…

"Andy where's the book!" She yelped. If she could find out when and how it had been taken she would be able to prevent it when she got home…_if_ she got home.

Much to her confusion, Andy just let out a hearty laugh. "Geez mom. Paranoid much?" He rolled his eyes again and continued. "You know what Amy's like. She's studying the book before her lesson with Aunt Paige." He helped her to her feet and Piper was surprised to find her right knee full of what she assumed was arthritis. This situation was almost too weird to handle- even for a Halliwell. But what Andy had just said was sticking in her mind. Lessons with Paige? The purpose of her being here suddenly came back to her: Paige. Clearly she had been transported to the future to see how Paige would turn out, but there was so much Piper wanted to know. She knew that she should try to find out as little as possible about her future but it was all so tempting…

"Are you okay mom?" Andy asked, his smiling face turning concerned.

"Yes." Piper answered a little too quickly, "Why?"

"You just seem a little…different."

"Nope, I'm fine." She tried to assure him, wracking her mind for something to say that would sound normal, "Uh…where's Prue?" She bit down on her lip hoping that she had sounded convincing.

"At work Mom. Like she usually is…"

"Aw…crap," She muttered under her breath. Piper winced. How could she have been so stupid? Andy was at least nineteen, making Prue at least twenty-one! Why would she be in the house? She resisted her urge to groan and turned to face Andrew again. Even if she did admit it herself, she had always been a reasonably good liar, and she knew she needed to maintain eye contact. "Oh yeah…"

"Are you sure you're okay? You're a bit…forgetful…"

"Honestly honey, I'm fine. Amy's downstairs?" She dashed towards the attic door, not wanting to keep the conversation going.

"Like I said, she's studying before her lesson with Aunt Paige tomorrow." A smirk returned to his face and Piper let out a quiet sigh of relief. "When isn't she studying or with Kevin?" Then he chuckled, so Piper chuckled too, pretending to understand the joke Andrew had just made. That was until it dawned on her what Andy had said.

"Kevin Morris?" She blurted before she could stop herself. Her jaw almost hit the floor and her eyes almost bulged out of her head. _Kevin Morris?_

Andy hesitated before answering; Piper mentally kicked herself. "Mom, Amy and Kevin have been together for more than a year now- ever since Amy's fifteenth birthday party- and you don't remember? You're definitely not okay. I'm calling Aunt Paige."

As he orbed out Piper slapped her forehead. "Fu-! Fudge" She caught herself off guard with the swearing, but threw her hand to the side in sheer annoyance with her own ignorance. She knew she had been naive to start asking questions in the first place, but she couldn't help but feel a thirst for knowledge. Andy had just sounded so much like his Aunt Prue that it was almost as if. Perhaps their connection was bigger than just through their powers? And Amy was with Kevin Morris? She could barely imagine Amy walking, let alone with a long-term boyfriend!

Piper shook her head in disbelief. She was actually in her own future. But should she tell them she was from the past? Undoubtedly, it would make the situation easier, but it would lead to too many awkward questions. How would she be able to explain to the future Paige that she had travelled to the future because she doubted her sister's ability to recover from Mark's death?

Throwing her hands forward in frustration she let out an angry groan, but quickly regretted the hand gesture she had just made. A surge of extreme power emitted from her outstretched palms and before Piper could register what was happening, a cloud of thick smoke was travelling towards her from the attic, which she had been facing, and she was thrown backwards into the wall at the top of the attic staircase.

"Aw crap!" She cursed again; rubbing her head as she peered into the room her, apparently very advanced, power had almost destroyed. The far wall, which had been lined in shelves of potion vials and cauldrons, was now a vast display of colourful messes where the potions had smashed and the cauldrons and shelves had been reduced to shards.

"Piper?" A voice came from the bottom of the stairs and, once again, panic flooded the oldest Charmed One. How the heck was she going to explain what had happened? She turned her head to the source of the voice and squinted through the smoke and dust the explosion has just caused. "Are you okay?"

Footsteps began to move towards Piper and the eldest Charmed One's jaw hit the ground. A slender figure appeared by her side, her thick, dark curls, full of volume and bounce, falling over her face as she crouched next to the dazed Charmed One.

"Paige?" Piper gasped. Her sister looked so youthful. Her brow was wrinkled in worry, but other than that she looked not a day older than twenty. Her cheekbones were defined by the way her curls lined her face and her lips, full and red, were pulled into a tight, amused, yet worried smirk. Her blue eyes were peering over the top of her thick, red framed glasses, looking Piper up and down…wait, **blue**? _Crap!_

"Did you just call me Paige? Aunt Piper…what happened?"

"_Crap!_" Piper said. There seemed to be a lot of that word floating around… She knew Laura resembled her mother, but her likeness was uncanny! Looking closer, Laura's cheekbones were more distinct and her face held the same shape as Phoebe's, but family resemblance was an understatement.

"Crap what?" Laura cocked an eyebrow and pursed her lips in an amused curiosity. "…Andy said you were acting weird."

"I'm fine!" Piper eventually managed to reply.

"Yeah…" Laura took Piper's hand and helped her to her feet, "But what happened to the attic? Did a demon attack?"

Standing, Piper managed to get a closer look at her future niece. She stood at an impressive five foot nine, one of the only things that made her different from Paige. Apparently Laura's love of weird and wonderful clothes and colour combinations had not faded. Hugging her slender hourglass figure was a tight yellow blouse, fastened with metal hooks instead of buttons. Rimming the ends of the long, bell-sleeves was a red and white ribbon, sewn so that it created a ruffled effect. The same ribbon was sewn onto the brim of the large collar, which formed a V-neck, revealing enough cleavage to not look sluttish, but sexy and sophisticated. On her bottom half Laura wore dark denim jeans which hugged her thighs, but flared out from the knee downwards in a nineteen seventies style. Her feet, only just visible under the flare of her jeans, were dressed in a pair of jade green trainers, of a brand that Piper did not recognise. In her hand, which had nails painted a deep red, resided a rather large camera, but Piper did not have time to wonder why her niece was carrying one.

"Hello in there?" Laura said, waving her free hand in her Aunt's face. "Geez Piper, senile dementia hit early?"

"Wha-? Huh? Oh…"

"Maybe you should take a seat downstairs… It's inset day at school today. I'm sure War won't mind coming to tidy this up for you…"

Before Piper could even begin to attempt an explanation-not that she actually had one- Laura had grabbed her arm and was orbing her downstairs. The living room had changed more than the attic. She took a seat in the large, red, suede sofa- not wanting to arouse suspicions further by refusing to do what Laura told her- and sank into its almost heavenly soft cushions. The red of the suite matched the curtains, and complimented the creamy gold of the carpet nicely. Apparently she had finally given in to letting Leo decorate the house.

"I'll go get Warren." Laura told her. Even when concerned, the way Laura moved and spoke was eccentric and extroverted. Piper could still see her outgoing five-year-old niece shining through in this twenty-something year old woman. "Mom and Andy should be here any minute."

And then Piper was alone in the living room. She fixed her eyes on a small spider, which was struggling to make his way up the chimney, hoping to distract herself from looking at the pictures and items in the room. Despite her curiosity, she knew that finding out about the future could jeopardize it, but what she was about to find out was going to make her want to change the future in more ways than she had ever imagined.

"Mom," Andy was back. Piper grudgingly turned to face him, knowing her youngest sister would be there and she would very probably have to explain where she was from and what she was doing in the future.

She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out when her eyes met her youngest sister. Paige, next to Andy, looked not a day older than she did in 2008. Her hair was still thick, brown and glossy, her skin still porcelain with no blemishes, and her brown eyes still remained filled with the same deep thought. She dressed similarly to her past self, in tight, cropped, light denim jeans and an emerald green, bow sleeved top, with a neatly cut V-neck. But it was not how young her sister looked that Piper was horrified by. It was the red and black wheelchair which Paige resided in.

**xxxxx**

Before Cole could say another word, Phoebe was running at top speed down the attic stairs. She passed the portraits of Grams, of Charlotte Warren and of Brianna Wentworth…the one Phoebe knew she had in her own house. The one which was also hanging where the photo of Prue's first ballet recital now hung. When she reached the corridor she headed straight towards Andy's bedroom in a mad panic, hoping that her worries were not necessary. But they were. What should have been Andy's room was most definitely not the room of a three-year-old boy. No. It was the room of none other than Phoebe herself… seven years ago at least.

"Damn it!" Phoebe cursed, "I hate time travelling!"

She slammed the door to her past bedroom and brought the palms of her hands to her temples in a panic. She began to move her hands in small, massaging circles, as if expecting it to sooth her mind in some way. The calendar, which hung on the wall beside her head, showed 'March 2001'. Why the heck had the spell transported her to the past, and where on earth was Piper?

"Phoebe?" The voice of Cole boomed from the corridor. She could hear his footsteps moving towards the bedroom and was beginning to get a little worried.

"Yeah Sweetie?" Phoebe heard her own voice echo up the stairs.

"Shit." She gasped. If her past self was in the house that meant getting out of the manor was going to be even trickier. She pulled her cream, woollen hat over her eyes and continued dragging her hands down her face and pulling her cheeks downwards in deliberation. She took a deep intake of breath and let it out quickly, blowing the flowing sleeves of her beige top away from her face. What had she gotten herself into?

Her thoughts of how to get out of the manor and find Piper were broken suddenly by voices coming from the hallway: voices which belonged to Cole and herself. Thinking on her feet, which she had become quite good at since discovering she was a witch, she closed her eyes tightly and focused all of her thought onto the attic. Moments later, in a scarlet flare, she found her astral self in her desired destination and, without hesitation, began to wreak havoc. She picked up a cauldron full of herbs and threw it against the nearest wall, following this by smashing one of the vast amounts of lamps that lined the attic. Hurried footsteps on the staircase showed her that her plan had worked and, within the blink of an eye, she was back in her old bedroom.

Using her empathy-, which she knew would work because the Phoebe of this time did not have empathy so nobody would have taken blocking potions-, she made sure that the hallway was free of life. Sure enough, the Phoebe and Cole of 2001 had both rushed to the attic, leaving Phoebe's escape route free.

She darted along the corridor and down the stairs as quickly and quietly as she could manage in stiletto heals. She hadn't remembered the Manor's staircase being quite so creaky. When she eventually reached the foyer, she let out a sigh of relief. Having come face to face with herself would have been an interesting experience, to say the least, but not one Phoebe wished to endure. Now her only problem was finding Piper. If she had been transported to where _her _past self was, then perhaps Piper had been transported to P3, with past Piper…if Piper was in the past at all.

**xxxxx**

Phoebe entered P3 in a fluster. She had to find Piper. Hurrying down the stairs, her eyes scanned the large club- she didn't even stop to notice how much it had changed in the present- but found no trace of her older sister. All she had was the hope that Piper had been transported somewhere else in the past, but now it was not looking likely.

"Piper?" Her voice echoed through the empty club. She had forgotten quite how good the acoustics were when it was empty.

"She's gone for lunch Phoebe!" Came a voice from the back room. Phoebe stopped in her tracks. She hadn't heard that voice for almost a year and hearing it in such normality was slightly, and upsettingly, unusual. The hoarse tone, from years of smoking, accompanied by the accent she had always found quite attractive, still gave her a sense of warmth.

"Mark?" She spoke softly, but loud enough for her voice to carry through the club.

"No, the Bogey Man!" Phoebe snorted a laugh. She had to admit his passing had affected her in more ways than she had thought. Hearing him make jokes, unaware of the fate that would meet him, made Phoebe's eyes moisten. Even though they hadn't always seen eye-to-eye, he was one of her best friends. "Piper's gone to get lunch! She should be back soon!"

Phoebe groaned, but a little relief came out in her moan. Thank god Mark was not leaving the back room. If she saw him she didn't know how she would react. But Piper wasn't here? It was becoming more likely that Piper had not been transported here at all. "I'll catch her later then!" Phoebe replied eventually. She turned to the stairs, not wanting to encounter Mark face to face. She knew from experience that she was a terrible liar and the risk of having to talk to him was too great.

Having not even of reached the third step, Phoebe found her exit blocked. A breeze swept her brown curls backwards as someone opened the heavy door to P3 and her large brown eyes squinted through blinding sunlight which now shone in from outside. "Piper," She whispered quietly, hoping she had finally found her sister. The voice, which called out from the top of the stairs indicated that she had indeed found her sister, but not the right one.

"Hello?" The voice of Paige Matthews rang out through the club. She sounded different- younger- more innocent perhaps.

Phoebe, in a sudden panic, jumped down the two steps she had climbed and scurried into the nearby storeroom so not to be seen. From what she had gathered at the manor, she had been transported to early 2001, which meant they had only just learnt of Paige.

"Hello?" Paige's voice came again. She sounded almost timid- very unlike the Paige Phoebe knew in 2008.

She heard Paige saunter down the stairs, and with every step her sister took, Phoebe felt an unexplained and sudden rush of apprehension. Phoebe looked up in contemplation, unable to explain why she unexpectedly felt scared, cautious and timid. But looking out into the club, seeing Paige nervously shuffle towards the bar, it hit her. In 2001 Phoebe had not been an empath so there had been no need for her family to drink empathy blocking potions. Phoebe was feeling her past sister's emotions! And of course Paige would be feeling nervous! She was walking into the empty nightclub of a sister she did not know!

"Piper?" Paige called again. Phoebe began to wonder if what she was about to witness was vital to her being in this time. After all, the spell had been specifically worded to allow them to help their youngest sister and to understand her pain…

She watched Paige take a seat at the bar and place her head in her hands impatiently. She had forgotten that, at one time, Paige had been so naïve and youthful. Watching Paige glance nervously around the club, Phoebe couldn't help but smile. Her sister was so full of joy; so carefree- a drastic contrast with the Paige of the present. Even the way she held herself was different. Of course, this could have been due to the fact Paige had given birth to three children and had seriously injured her hip in her battle with Decron, never fully recovering, but the Paige she saw in the club held an elegant poise, even when she was slouching!

"Shit!" Phoebe heard her sister gasp and the middle Charmed One's heart filled with Paige's newfound panic. She felt her own breathing rate increase at the same time as she watched Paige's do the same. Phoebe wasn't certain of what, but something had scared her sister.

"Calm down Paige." The youngest sister told herself. Phoebe smirked through the panic she was feeling: Paige _still _spoke to herself in 2008. "It's not a demon. It's just a barman or a janitor…"

"Do you talk to yourself often?" A new voice came. As Mark spoke, Phoebe felt herself get slightly arrogant, clearly picking up on the Nauctater's personality. But she blushed at the same time, her cheeks turning the same crimson as her sister's. And then her knees went weak. Apparently Paige had a soft spot for Scottish accents.

The realisation which hit Phoebe at that precise moment made the entire situation make sense. She was witnessing Paige and Mark's first meeting! Of course, "witnessing" wasn't really the word. All Phoebe could see was a side on view of her younger sister, and her inquisitive nature was beginning to urge her to get a closer look of the moment which would be the first day of the rest of Paige's life.

"Crap…a spell!" Phoebe murmured to herself, "Uh…Not part of my body, but a projection of soul. I need not be seen to reach my goal. Exposed I do not want to be, so turn me into nobody."

The spell escaped her lips and she felt herself immediately being tugged from her body. She found herself sitting on a barstool, just two seats down from Paige. In alarm, she looked to her hand…or where her hand was supposed to be… the spell had worked! Phoebe's astral projection was invisible.

"It's a hard habit to grow out of." Paige replied bashfully. Phoebe found herself flushing. She watched her little sister peer over the bar and gaze in anticipation at the muscular form of a crouched Mark, dressed in a tight white T-shirt which showed his physique perfectly, his back facing the sisters as he placed glasses into the cabinet. The middle Charmed One's sudden shock at seeing the man who had moved on almost a year ago was overlaid with a longing for the nauctater to turn round. His curls fell onto his face, meaning neither of the sisters could even catch a glimpse of his face. Phoebe had never felt so hopeful that a person would turn to face her in her life. Apparently Paige really wanted a glance at the man who's voice had melted her heart.

"I wouldn't know," Mark replied. As Phoebe watched Paige take a sharp intake of breath, she shared her sister's urge to jump off her stool and squeal like a little girl. "I am flawless after all."

"I'll bet…" Paige smiled slyly and Phoebe's yearning for Mark to turn round reached a peak. Jeez, Paige was persistent with her feelings.

Phoebe rolled her eyes at Mark's arrogant facade and, in the brief moment where she was feeling neither of the lovers' emotions. a melancholy vibe washed over her. Mark was only five feet away from her, stacking shelves and flirting his heart out with who was to become his future wife. Here in the past, she had the ability to prevent what was to happen to her bother-in-law but she knew she couldn't. Resisting the temptation, however, was a lot easier said than done…

She was almost thankful when the two began talking again so that thoughts of her ability to change the past were overcome. Her heart began to pump vigorously in her chest and her palms began to moisten as an excited sweat formed in them. She looked up too see that Mark was now standing, facing Paige. That explained the sudden exhilaration she was feeling. Mark placed his elbows on the bar and leaned closer to Paige. Suddenly, and rather disturbingly, Phoebe was mesmerised by her sister's incredible beauty. From the way her dark locks swept her face, to the way her nose wrinkled when she smiled, she was gorgeous. And then their was her slender and stunning body…

_Oh God! _Phoebe thought, tightly closing her eyes_ Eew Eew Eew! Please go back to channelling Paige…_

As if by magic, she was back inside her sister's head. She slowly opened her eyes, fixing them firmly on Paige and Mark's faces. But before she knew it she found herself enthralled by Mark. The way his shaggy curls fell around his face, only just covering his stick-out ears, accompanied with his thin layer of stubble, gave him a rugged handsomeness, which Phoebe was finding irresistible. She knew she had always found Mark attractive, but never so much as she was picking up from her little sister. He smiled, baring all of his slightly askew teeth in a crooked smile and Phoebe felt her heart flutter in ecstasy. Her knees turned to jelly and she had never been more grateful for P3's horribly uncomfortable bar stools. His eyes were his most incredible feature though. His pupils were almost lost in the deep midnight blue of his irises, but the lines of aquamarine defined them. You could get lost in those eyes forever…

"I'm Mark." The nauctater introduced himself, Phoebe gasped in delight, luckily at the same time as Paige or she would have been heard.

"Paige," Her one word reply was enough to make Mark's pulse race. Phoebe hadn't realised her was biting her nails in anticipation.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Mark reached forward and gently took Paige's hand before planting a soft kiss on the top of it. Phoebe's stomach swelled in pleasure and she found her cheeks burning. She knew her expression would be similar to Paige's giddy and over excitable one, but she felt that even if she hadn't been picking up empathic waves from them both she would have had a grin stretching from ear to ear. She knew that she was witnessing something that you only ever saw in movies or read in books (AN- or fanfiction :p). She was witnessing 'love at first sight'.

At the sound of Paige's flirtatious giggle, Phoebe picked up on Mark's sudden urge to leap over the bar and kiss her with every ounce of passion in his body. And then she was overcome by the desperate need to think of something romantic to say. Mark's panic almost made Phoebe snort a laugh, but she held it back.

"Are you Scottish?" Paige asked bashfully.

"Yes!" Mark beamed in pride, "Have you ever been?"

"No," She replied. Phoebe smirked, _not yet anyway_! She thought, knowing how much time her sister would spend there in the future. "I hear it's beautiful though?"

"I would agree," Mark began, Phoebe felt her confidence rise, "But after laying eyes on someone as incredibly beautiful as you nothing compares," Phoebe would have gagged at how cheesy Mark sounded, but the thing was she could feel how genuine he was being.

Before she could even begin to feel her sister's extreme joy and embarrassment, she found herself being tugged back into her own body. "Damn!" She gasped, "That was just getting fun!" But as she looked from the storeroom and saw Paige and Mark looking longingly into each other's eyes as they continued to make small talk, a great lump of guilt settled in her throat. She had just watched the first meeting of Paige and Mark, knowing what fate was to meet them and she hadn't even attempted to warn them. She found tears welling in her eyes as she thought of what a great love Paige had lost. In losing Mark she had lost her soulmate- the love of her life. The pain she must have been going through would have been immense…

Perhaps this was why she had been transported into the past? To learn what a great love Paige had lost? To understand the pain her sister back in 2008 was is? It was all clear now…

Phoebe wiped the trickles of salty tears from her cheeks and averted her gaze from the Paige and Mark of 2001. She leaned back against the wall in exasperation and her mind, once again, filled with thoughts of how to return home. Not that she knew what Paige was feeling all she wanted to do was get home and give her sister a hug.

Her chain of thought was brought to an abrupt end as she felt a strange tugging sensation in her stomach, almost like the one she got from orbing, but magnified. She closed her eyes tightly, hoping to make the slightly nauseating feeling disappear. Amazingly, it worked. But when she opened them, she was no longer in the storeroom of P3, but in a _church?_

**xxxxx**

Piper struggled to keep her jaw from dropping. She couldn't believe Paige was in a wheelchair. After everything her baby sister had been through, she was now grounded by a disability too!

"Sheesh Piper!" Her sister spoke, in the same harsh tone she used when she was angry back in 2008. Her normality, despite her situation, was amazing. "I've had this chair long enough for me to expect you won't gawp at me like that!" The youngest charmed one sounded both hurt and annoyed.

Piper looked to the ground, guilt radiating from her. She bit her bottom lip and attempted o run her fingers through her hair, forgetting that her future self was wearing her hair in a ponytail. She found herself unable to speak- even unable to utter a small apology. She couldn't describe what she was suddenly feeling. Sympathy, shock, fury…

Furious. Yes, that's how she was feeling. Furious with herself. How could she have ever let that happen to her baby sister? Paige had been through too much in her life to deserve anything as dreadful as this! She had been given up at birth and raised by wonderful parents, who had then left her at the age of seventeen to fend for herself! Then she had struggled through alcoholism in her late teens, before pulling herself together and getting a stable job, which she then had to leave after discovering she had a magical destiny with sisters she didn't even know! Then, of course, she had found her true love, but throughout her years with Mark they had been under the threat of constant attacks from a demon Piper dared even think of, at the risk of losing their children and each other every day, until they had eventually lost each other. And now- now Piper had come to the future expecting to find out that everything would be okay, only to discover her sister in a _wheelchair!_

"Piper, what the hell is wrong with you?" Paige asked, but the edge in her voice softened and was replaced with an immense concern.

Piper quickly wiped the tears which had not yet fallen from her eyes and returned her gaze to the small spider, which was still struggling up the chimney. "Nothing." She replied. Even if she had wanted to tell Paige that she was from the past, she wouldn't have managed to utter more than one word. Her blood was boiling, and her hands were trembling. What had Paige done to deserve this?

"Come on Piper," Paige wheeled herself towards the sofa and placed a hand on Piper's arm. It took all of Piper's willpower not to pull away. "I may not have known you your entire life but I've known you for long enough to tell when something's wrong!"

"I'm fine." Piper said in a hoarse whisper. She knew she couldn't keep this up much longer. She was going to crack.

"Geez Aunty P, you always told me I inherited my persistence from mom!"

That was a new voice! Piper's head jerked up before she could even stop herself and found herself gazing at a stunningly beautiful young woman. She had her long, raven hair pulled into two neat French braids, which fell so they just brushed her shoulders. A few strands of hair had been left loose and were framing her tanned face, defining her incredible cheekbones perfectly. Her slightly upturned nose was wrinkled in an amused smirk and she wore a smile so much like Cole's it was uncanny! Her slightly upturned nose was wrinkled in an amused smirk. Her huge, intensely dark eyes were gazing at Piper, but they did not match her smiling face. There was some hidden depth in those eyes which intrigued the eldest Charmed One. There was no doubt who the young woman was though. She was greeting Melinda-Jayne.

"Hey Midget," Paige greeted her. _Midget? _It was then that Piper realised MJ had inherited the Halliwell height. Whereas Laura had been an impressible five foot nine, MJ stood at around five foot three. Her hip-hugging, khaki combats trailed on the floor, but seemed to match her grungy look. She wore a tight, sleeveless white T-shirt with large, black lips embroidered on the front and a grey flat-cap. Piper couldn't help but smile. At least she would never feel too short.

"Hi," Piper greeted, relieved to have a distraction.

"What brings you here?" Paige asked, her voice filled with more concern than it had been when she addressed Piper.

MJ looked hesitant. Piper watched her intently. "I…" She turned to face Paige and drew a deep breath and suddenly looked in desperate need of a hug. "Jason." She said.

Piper narrowed her eyes: Jason? Why would she be here because of her stepfather?

"Sweetie, I thought you two were getting along okay now?"

Piper almost couldn't believe her ears. MJ loved Jason almost more than her own father in 2008- why would they not get on in the future? However, Piper knew her curiosity would only lead to something bad. The saying "curiosity killed the cat" seemed to echo in her mind and she rose to her feet in a sudden rush.

"I'll make tea." She said, hurrying in the direction of the kitchen.

"Don't think you've gotten away from me that easily!" Paige yelled after her. Piper slapped her thigh in frustration.

Glad to find that there was nobody in the kitchen, Piper let out a relieved sigh. Since arriving she hadn't had time to wonder where Phoebe was, but now that was the thought which was rushing through her mind. That was until a young woman. Who she had not even noticed when entering the kitchen, stepped out from behind the kitchen counter. The woman's incredibly long, flaming red hair was scraped off of her face into a tight ponytail, giving the impression that her skin was too tight. She was dressed in a long, black, matrix style leather jacket, which swept the floor as she walked towards Piper. It did not look like the Rachael Piper knew and loved, but with red hair that colour it could only be one person.

"Hi," she said, forcing a smile.

The woman's smirk turned into a scowl and she slowly moved her hand towards her pocket. Piper was too shocked to move when she removed a jewelled, gold athame from her coat.

"Aunt Piper, blow her up!" Came a voice she recognised as Laura's from behind her. Finding it difficult to register that she was supposed to be killing her niece, Piper just stood, gawping at the redhead.

"Leave her alone!" Came a deep, gruff, male voice and Piper found herself being pushed to the side. She watched in amazement as flames erupted around the leather-adorned woman, not even registering the blood churning screams the dominatrix was emitting. The amount of power, which had just been used to vanquish that demon, had been immense, but who had it been? Clearly, Piper had been right in thinking it had not looked like Rachael. I hadn't been her niece at all!

"Why didn't you blow her up?" Laura moved towards Piper, blocking the youngest Charmed One's view of the male who had destroyed the demon. "There was some sort of demon in the kitchen and you greet it with 'hi'?"

"I…uh…" Piper could hardly tell her niece she hadn't attempted to blow up the demonatrix because she thought it was Rachael. Now, she would definitely have to explain why she was here…

It was time to come clean.

AN- There you go peeps! Hope you enjoyed that, I've had a bit of writers' block so I'm not sure how it turned out. The next chapter should be up sometime, but I'm not sure when. I've got a hell of a lot of homework to do before I go back to school on the sixteenth! Lol. …no, I haven't been putting it off for the whole holidays… heh! Until next time chickens.

Laur x

**Next Chapter**- When Phoebe finds herself in yet another time in the past, emotions fly high. Piper comes clean and learns what she was sent to the future to learn, but not until finding out some information she was better off without… And will they ever make it home?


	30. A Mother's Love

Oh man, I haven't updated in SO long. -**hangs head in shame-** But MS Word decided to break and I lost half my writing -**kicks computer-** I am back now! But I'm going on Holiday next Tuesday for two weeks! So you won't be getting an update : ( But hopefully I'll have plenty time in the hot Orlando sun to write. Lol. (No Kath, I'm no rubbing it in…)

You have to understand that I'm sitting five highers this year (for those of you who don't have the privilege of living in Scotland that translates to a shit load of work!) And also, to those of you whose stories I've stopped reviewing I promise I've not stopped reading! I barely have time to keep up with my own fic anymore so you'll have to wait until I can find a spare day to read about, oh say 14 fics! Lmao. No pressure, Laur. Onyhoo, on a more cheerful note! You all rock! Thanks for the reviews!

No responses today, but it's been so long since you left them you've probably forgotten what they say anyway! But **Kath** (That's my sister for all those of you who don't know), I think I'd be slightly more disturbed than you if I witnessed you and Simon's first meeting. Especially since you were still with Adam at the time! Haha! Love ya really, Chicken! One thing- for all **_my family members_** who read this (Yeah, I let slip to my mum I write, I think ever one of my relatives is queuing to read LOM now. Haha.) I'm expecting a review:p

I've split this again because it would have ended up at about fourteen pages if I wrote the whole thing and I don't know if I'd have managed to finish that for Tuesday. But I should have the second half up very soon after I return home. You guys all rock for being patient with me. Love you all.

This chapter is for Ross. Thanks bunches dude! I am not worthy. You rock. Etcetera, Etcetera. And you're better. +**pokes tongue out+** And it's also for David Bowie because he cured my writer's block, but I doubt he reads this! Haha!

**Chapter30- A Mother's Love**

"What happened?" Came a voice Piper was sure was Andy's. Being surrounded by all of these future people was beginning to get slightly overwhelming.

"A demonatrix attacked your mom. Warren kicked her ass."

"Hardly," She still couldn't see him, but Warren had the same husky voice as Mark had had.

"I'm sorry, oh great one." Laura smirked, rolled her eyes and gave a bow in the direction of her younger brother.

This enabled Piper to catch a glimpse of her nephew. Once again, she found her eyes bulging from her head in amazement. She had thought Laura's resemblance to Paige had been great, but Warren was the spitting image of his father. His wild curls sat a few inches longer than Mark's had and his nose was still in the centre of his face, but it was as if Piper could have been looking at Mark at sixteen years old.

He was grinning, clearly liking the exhilaration he got from using his powers, but his hands played nervously with something in the pockets of his loose fitting, bootlegged, dirty denim jeans. A deep reddish-purple, corduroy jacket covered his torso. It fastened with toggles over the top of his white shirt- the collar of which was almost as large as the collar of Laura's yellow blouse had been. The jacket, adorned with various coloured buttons and many oddly-shaped pockets, seemed slightly tight around the teen's muscular chest, but Piper assumed that was fashionable in the future.

He flashed her a smile, embarrassed and she found herself giving a small, disbelieving laugh. His tall, well built appearance gave the impression that Warren would be arrogant and his immense display of power made Piper wonder why he _wasn't_. He bit down on his lower lip and shifted uncomfortably on his feet, rubbing his huge, blue, 'Anderson eyes' as he turned away from his Aunt.

"What the hell is going on?" Came a frustrated voice- one Piper recognised immediately as Paige's. She restrained herself from groaning.

"Another demon attacked." Andy informed his wheelchair-bound aunt, who Piper could just see making her way into the already crowded kitchen.

"Anothe-" Paige cut off when she spotted her son and her gaze softened, "Hey Spoob, when did you get here?"

Warren gave an uncomfortable shrug and turned to face his mother. He greeted her with a beaming smile and Piper couldn't help but smile with him. Her instant shine to her only nephew was oddly comforting in the rather chaotic situation.

"'Bout three and a half minutes ago…" He said quietly.

"Back to the more pressing issue: _another demon attack!_" Andy snapped, waving his hands in a frustrated gesture. Piper shuddered at how much her future son had just reminded her of herself.

"Actually," Paige said, pursing her lips into a famous Paige-pout, "I think the more pressing issue is what on earth is the matter with your Mom!"

"What's the matter with Mom?" This voice was new. Although it was close, it sounded as though whoever was talking was a million miles away.

Piper peered round Melinda-Jayne, who was now standing in the doorway, and found herself staring at the figure of an adolescent female. Her face was not visible as it was hidden behind the tome Piper had become very attached to during her time as a witch- The Book Of Shadows - which meant it could only be one person.

Unlike Laura and MJ, Amy did not hold herself with elegance. She stood with one leg bent, causing her (already two inches too long), dark denim, anti-fit jeans to trail on the floor. A small section of her slim waist was revealed due to the positioning of her tight, teal polo shirt, which clung to her developing figure in a way that showed off the lack of-

"Mom! My breasts are perfectly adequate, thank you!"

A shiver ran down Piper's spine as her back straightened in shock. Her deep brown eyes, full of curiosity, quickly scanned the room looking for any sign of anyone else having heard what Amy had just said… or thought. And then Piper began to panic. Her youngest daughter had just projected a thought into her mind. Amy would be able to get any information she wanted out of Piper before the eldest Charmed One could even explain the situation herself.

"Gee, jumpy much?" This time Piper breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone else had heard Amy talk too. The thought of having someone invading her own mind was not one Piper was comfortable with.

When Piper opened her mouth to speak, however, she found herself unable. She had glanced up and found that Amy had lowered the book of Shadows so that it was covering her chest, leaving her face visible. She was beautiful. Loose, golden curls, pushed behind her rather large ears, fell past her shoulders and, accompanied by her impish grin, this gave her appearance a childlike innocence. Her small, button nose was covered in a thin layer of light freckles, and she had a small scar just above her lip which, much like the squintness of Andy's nose, suggested one too many demon battles. It was Amy's eyes that stunned Piper though: the right's rich, chocolate brown held a captivating beauty, which Piper did not recognise was almost identical to her own eyes; the piercing green of her left eye almost made Piper feel uncomfortable with its seeming ability to see right into her soul. But she couldn't help but smile. Every one of the future children she had encountered had been perfect in every way.

"Shh!" Amy hissed, slamming the Book Of Shadows hard down on the kitchen table, causing everyone to turn in her direction with an almost identical confused expression spread on all of their faces. Piper, startled from her chain of thought jerked her head sideways, eyes widened. "Nobody say anything else."

"What the heck are you talking about?" Andy asked her, squinting his eyes in curiosity.

"She's from the past!" Amy gasped in alarm.

**xxxxx**

Phoebe stood for a moment, her brow knitted as her dark eyes surveyed her surroundings. The grand arched ceiling, made up of thousands of ornate carvings, seemed a million miles away. The middle Charmed One tilted her head backwards and her mouth opened slightly in sheer amazement. The walls, of the same splendorous and intricately carved shapes, appeared to stretch for centuries like a never-ending passage of pure beauty. Residing in the stunning carvings Phoebe could make out the faces of smiling children, gazing down at her from their marble home in a welcoming manner. The wings of angels also appeared in the carvings and just looking at then allowed a veil of calm to settle Phoebe.

Allowing her gaze to move from the beauteous walls, her eyes appeared to bulge from her head as realisation settled on her. A building with such beauty as this one was not easily forgotten and Phoebe knew exactly where she had seen it before. The first time she had laid eyes upon the walls that surrounded her had been a very significant moment in Halliwell history. For where Phoebe stood now was the exact spot Paige had stood the first time she had used her telekinetic orbing. Phoebe could remember, as clear as day, the utterly bemused expression on her younger sister's face when that candle had appeared in her hand.

But judging by the lack of decorations adorning the front of the church, it was not the second time she had been in the church which she had returned to either. Her eyes followed the rows of deep mahogany pews down the aisle, which only seemed to add to the beauty of the church, but there as no sign that a wedding was about to take place: No flower doused arch, no petals lining the heavily polished wooden floor, nor any sign of a wedding guest greeted Phoebe's eyes, and, accompanied by the sun's evening glow, the middle Charmed One was made certain that she had not returned to the day of Paige and Mark's wedding. Then…where was she?

It was when her gaze reached the windows that her breath was really taken away. The setting sun shining through the beautiful stain glass window created beams of multicoloured light. Every piece was placed intricately within the dull iron bars of metal that separated the rainbow like material. Within the centre, a large glass illustration of a biblical figure which Phoebe did not recognise, the stunning green eyes made of glass seemed to watch over those who entered. (AN- Thanks a million Ross!)

Phoebe could have spent eternity in the amazingly beautiful building just savouring its immense splendour, but she knew she had been transported there for a reason. She could only begin to wonder what that reason was though, for she had no idea what time she was in or what significance it had to helping her know her little sister better… and then it dawned on her. The reason Paige had gotten married in this particular church; the reason they had been in that church when Paige had first used her powers: this was the church where Paige had been given up as a child.

And suddenly, as if her realisation had triggered the starting of time, footsteps from the front of the church startled Phoebe back to reality. As the panic of being seen washed over her, Phoebe dived into one of the many rows of pews, muffling her cry of pain as her elbow made contact with the hardwood floor. She let out a quiet groan as she rose to her knees hoping to catch a glimpse of the person at the front of the church, realising at the same time that her dive for a hiding place had broken the heal of her shoe.

"Damnit!" She whispered in a harsh tone, "These were Gucci!"

Phoebe's irritation over her broken shoe was quickly quashed when, from the corner of her eye, she spotted a cloud of blue and white lights form at the front of the church. Raising her gaze so that she was peering out from above the pew in front of her she saw whom the footsteps had belonged to. A middle aged woman, no older than thirty-five, was standing at the front of the church. Her long black robes brushed the floor as she spun round to face the orbs forming in the corner and she brought a hand to her chest, clutching her cross necklace tightly.

Not close enough to pick up on extreme emotion; she only felt a small glimmer of Sister Agnes's panic. The poor woman had turned sheet white and the middle Charmed One could tell from the rapid rise and fall of her chest that the nun was scared. Of course Phoebe was scared too. In all the time she had known Paige she had never really taken time to think about what Patty had gone through when giving her youngest daughter up and now, she was going to witness it first hand.

Taking a deep breath, Phoebe spoke the spell she had recited in P3 and found her astral self, invisible once again, sitting on the second row of pews from the front. Sister Agnes's panic was washing over her rapidly now. She looked towards the orbs which formed her mother and Sam and felt more frightened than she had ever been in her life. At once regretting her decision to move closer, Phoebe was tied between her own emotions and the nun's.

Her mother's face was red and raw. Her usual golden curls hung, greasy and limp, by her face, clinging to her skin which, where it was not worn from the obvious tears which had been falling from her bloodshot eyes, was ghostly pale. Her body, though clearly weighted from load remaining after giving birth, looked frail and ready to collapse to the ground, but her trembling arms kept a tight grip on the tiny bundle of blankets in her arms. Baby Paige seemed dumfounded by everything that was happening and Phoebe watched as a tiny hand stretched out towards Sam. The innocence in that one action had been enough to set Patty's tears off again and as she stumbled backwards, Sam wrapped her in a protective embrace. Sam himself looked no better than his true love. Phoebe was so used to seeing Sam as happy grandfather that watching him fight back tears was slightly discomforting. His rich, brown hair stuck up at odd angles and the huge bags which resided under his eyes gave him the appearance that he had not slept in weeks. His face too was raw and his blue eyes held too much sorrow for Phoebe to cope with.

And that was when a huge empathic wave hit Phoebe with all of its power. She suddenly felt as if her heart had been ripped from her chest. She collapsed to the hard, wooden floor as intense pain engulfed her. Tears fell freely from her eyes and she lost the ability to remain silent, letting out a painful sob which reverberated off of the grand buildings walls. Fortunately, it was muffled by Patty's sobs and nobody looked in her direction, but Phoebe had not felt such immense pain since Prue had died.

"_Angels._" The sound of Sister Agnes's voice met Phoebe's ears and she jerked her head towards the nun, whose jaw was hanging open and eyes were burning with amazement and curiosity. What the nun was truly feeling, however, Phoebe could not tell. She was so overwhelmed with her mother and Sam's emotion that she couldn't even register her own emotions.

She brought a shaking hand to her face and pressed it against her reddened eyes, hoping the rush of tears had stopped. Her hand visibly trembled as she placed it on the pew to help herself to her feet, which was a challenge in itself because her knees felt like they may collapse under her own weight.

Watching the scene unfold in front of her was something she had never expected to do. Her mother had always been so strong: Patricia Halliwell- Wonderwitch. But now, as the middle Charmed One watched her mother lean on Sam for support, barely keeping herself upright and cradling her baby so closely to her chest, she saw her mother in a whole new light. Patty had been through so much in her life, and Phoebe (and, she assumed, her sisters) had never taken it into consideration. She could not imagine losing MJ or Charlotte. From the moment they had been conceived they were her life and soul. She knew Patty felt the same way about her daughters. Giving Paige up must have been the hardest thing she had ever had to do.

"_Angels," _Agnes's soft whisper met Phoebe's ears again and she placed herself on the pew to avoid falling again. "Why are you here?" The nun's voice was soft, but clear. She was visibly afraid, her breath quick and blinking rapid, but her voice remained calm.

Phoebe closed her eyes tightly, unable to bear watching the excruciating pain in her mother's face. But as much as she pleaded with her power, Phoebe knew that no matter how tightly she closed her eyes, the wave of intense emotion would hit her. And hit her it did, in a way Phoebe had never experienced her empathy before.

A tousled mass of golden brown hair hit her chin, and her strong arms wrapped protectively around the woman's violently shaking body. Deeply confused with what on earth had just happened, she went to blink, as if in the hope of opening her eyes to find herself back on the Church pew. But she did not blink; she couldn't. She had no control over her actions. And that was when it hit her: regret, guilt and sorrow crashed into her heart at gale force. Had she any control, she would have contorted in pain. Of course, she had quickly realised what had happened. Not only was she feeling Sam Wilder's emotions, but she was also seeing the word through his eyes.

Phoebe, however, had no time to ponder over her sudden power advancement. She felt Sam's jaw begin to tremble and he bit down on his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood. Through all the pain which was swelling in his soul, Phoebe could feel his incredible love for the woman in his arms: Patty. His eyes were heavily glazed with tears, but he fought against them, his desire to stay strong for Patty the only thing stopping him from collapsing himself. He could hear his daughter's soft whimpers and oblivious sighs and his heart crumbled. This tiny miracle of a little girl was the most beautiful thing life (as a human, and a whitelighter) had ever given him, and now he was going to have to give her away. Phoebe felt his stomach churn. Bile rose in Sam's throat, but he swallowed it hard, closing his eyes to blink back a steady stream of tears, which both Phoebe and Sam knew would inevitably fall eventually. And then he opened his mouth to talk.

"Please, just listen..." He pleaded. His voice stuck in the back of his throat, which, until now, Phoebe had not realised was raw. The muscles in his face ached and the immense throbbing in his temples was giving Phoebe the desire to scream, but Sam remained quiet, waiting for the bewildered nun's response. When the petit woman gave a small nod, Sam bowed his head, directing his gaze away from the infant in Patty's arms.

"We don't have much time," he said, almost giving in to his tears and letting out a small choke. Phoebe knew, had she been in the situation, she would have been unable to talk. "We need your help, Sister..." He let a single tear fall. Phoebe felt Sam's heart tighten. "This baby... our child..." He gulped back a painful sob. 'Our child'; it seemed to ring in his mind like the echo of a bell in a hollow tower. She was not going to be their child. They were giving her up. "She's in great danger." Sam almost scowled at his choice of words. The danger she was in was from the greatest known force of good in the world. "Her only chance is... is to..." He stuttered. How could he hand his daughter over to a complete stranger, woman of god or not? Finding himself unable to finish his sentence, he removed his gaze from the wooden floor and rested his eyes on the small, round, pale face of Paige. She was so small, so innocent, and so oblivious to the world around her, but Sam had never loved anything more in his life. "Take her." He said firmly, and then he gave in to his tears.

For a moment, all Phoebe saw was darkness. She began to wonder if Sam had passed out, but when she realised she could still hear his desperate attempts to hold back his sobs she realised she was no longer in his body.

"I…" A Voice gasped. Phoebe did not need to have her vision to tell it was Sister Agnes. Without being in a body, all Phoebe could make out of the situation was the sounds: quickened footsteps, Patty and Sam's tears, innocent warbles of baby Paige. But it gave her time to make sense of her sudden power advancement. It was almost as if her astral projection had mixed with her empathy and was allowing her to project into people's minds. Normally, Phoebe would have been ecstatic, but in the midst of such an intense situation she was beginning to regret even casting the spell which had brought her into the past.

"What do you want me to do?" Agnes's voice, trembling with trepidation, startled Phoebe from her thoughts. The middle Charmed One was suddenly tremendously glad she was no longer in Sam's body, for she did not know if she would have been able to handle the pain he was about to undergo. But Phoebe had thought too soon.

She had no time to be glad for her release from Sam's emotions, as an overwhelming churning in the pit of her stomach brought forth a painful headache and a strong urge to vomit, which she thought would never end. Having her soul torn from her body was not something she wished to experience ever again, and the Halliwell clenched her fists tight, and firmly shut her eyes, hoping for it to stop.

She got her wish.

When she opened her eyes she could see again. Only, as she had so hoped she would, she had not returned to her own body. This time her eyes were so blurred that she could barely see the gurgling baby in her arms. The hammering pain in her pelvis was almost numbed by the immeasurable swell of her emotions and the grip she had on the tiny girl was almost as strong as the tremendous grip of hollow misery which was suddenly devouring her heart.

A tiny hand wrapped around her index finger; it was almost baby Paige's plea for her mother to stop crying. But instead of causing Patricia Halliwell more pain, as Phoebe had suspected it would, her mother's grief lightened. Fresh tears still continued to stream down her face and her joints continued to throb in a constant aching; her chest was tight and tender, and her eyelids felt weighted by a serious lack of sleep and continuous crying. But, although intense pain still coursed through her veins and she needed Sam's support to remain standing, the innocence and pureness which radiated from the tiny baby's touch seemed to focus Patty's chain of thought.

The Charmed Ones' mother looked up, eyes still blurred, but she managed to meet the gaze of Sister Agnes. The nun was standing a mere three feet from her, her head cocked to the side in a curious and panicked concern. Patty's mind raced: was she really about to give her daughter to this stranger? But there was no question. She had to, not only for the baby's sake, but also for her other daughters. Prudence, Piper and Phoebe were her life, and she knew they were destined for great things. If the elders discovered there was a fourth sister it was beyond comprehension what would happen to her newborn. And it was this thought which remained in her head as she took an unsteady step forward.

"We will _always _love you," Sam's soft voice croaked as he tightened his embrace on Patty. He planted a gentle kiss on his daughter's forehead, and then Patty's, before taking a step backwards.

Patty continued to move toward the nun, her knees trembling with more vigour with every step she took. Phoebe would have questioned Sam's decision to remain in the spot he was standing in if it had not been for the sense of utter obligation coursing through Patricia Halliwell's veins. Phoebe felt a small glimmer of relief in Patty when Sister Agnes began to walk towards her, relieving the Charmed Ones' mother of the seemingly never-ending journey. But it was quickly replaced with remorse when the time came to hand the small child over.

"Goodbye." Patty whispered, looking directly into the eyes of her daughter, and knowing that the entrancing virtue held in those eyes would be soemthing which haunted her forever. "My Angel..."

Slowly, Patty began shuffling back towards Sam and silent tears plummeted down her cheeks. With no baby in her arms to protect anymore, the witch allowed herself collapsed into her love's arm. She was exhausted both physically and emotionally and Sam held her hand tightly, giving her palm a loving squeeze as they shared a final look at the product of their love. Orbs began to surround them, and Phoebe began to panic. If they orbed out with her still in Patty's body her own body would be left in the church. Her panic came to an abrupt end, however, when Patty suddenly squeezed Sam's hand roughly, signalling for him to stop, and Patty's emotions once again overcame Phoebe. The two grief stricken lovers remained the same spot, standing in deadly silence as Patty stared at her child in the nun's arms. The Charmed Ones' mother knew she would never get her daughter back, and the immense swelling of pain which welled up within Patty when she saw her own daughter in another woman's arms hit Phoebe like a speeding Orinoco truck.

"P..." Patty suddenly croaked out, her voice cracked with distress and from the screaming she had committed during labour and its heart-wrenching aftermath.

"I beg your pardon?" Sister Agnes asked politely, not wanting to enrage these beings encase they weren't as peaceful and serene as they made themselves out of be.

"P..." The witch replied, "Make sure... her name..." She scrunched her eyes up, one grief filled sob left her throat, "Begins with a P..."

At the same time as Phoebe felt a small part of Patty's soul crumble; her own soul was torn from her mother's body. Instead of her spirit hovering between bodies as it had done in the previous exchange of homes, however, she only, for a split second, remained without an overwhelming emotion within her. But this time it was different. She knew she wasn't herself because she still had no control over her own actions and feelings, but whoever was home to her spirit could barely make sense of their own emotions. She felt like she was in a foreign place, and that every piece of comfort had been taken from her. Strong arms wrapped around her body, but they were not the arms she wanted.

For one of the few times in her life, Phoebe felt vulnerable. Light shifting around was the only thing she could see, the rest of the experience was tearing apart her other senses... something... something she _needed_ had... gone away… and she wanted it to come back more than anything in the world. A high-pitched cry suddenly pierced her hearing and a flash of darkness passed over her eyes, it had looked like the blurry outline of an arm. That was when Phoebe realised where these emotions were coming from. They were coming from her baby sister, who was barely an hour old. She was in her baby sister's mind.

Phoebe had never expected a child so young to be able to experience emotions so strong, but radiating from Paige was a feeling that broke Phoebe's heart: abandonment. As the tiny child continued to bawl, in a desperate plea for her mother and father's comfort to return, and as Phoebe realised that the abandonment baby Paige was feeling would have been similar to that of the neglect she felt when her parents had died, when her best, and only friend, Glenn had left for the Matterhorn, when Mark had died... Phoebe's soul was once again ripped from someone else's body. This time, it returned to its rightful place.

But that didn't stop Phoebe's tears. Everything she had just experienced had been too much emotion for one person to handle in such a short space of time. Her head began to spin and she closed her eyes, still full of tears, hoping that the four pews she was seeing would return to the one she knew was there. Sobs wracked her body, not just of sorrow, but of mental exhaustion and of a desire to return to her own time and help her younger sister. She was too distracted to notice Sister Agnes walking towards her, clearly looking for the source of the noisy weeping and by the time the footsteps had reached her, Phoebe had completely blacked out.

AN- And that, my friends, was that! I _really _hope that was worth the wait. I know I suck for making you wait for so long, but I am trying to devote more time to LOM now. Highers suck. Lol. Hope you haven't all deserted me :p

Laur xXx


	31. Unwrapping The Present

Hey there! Yes, I know I'm bad. But here's my update (finally). I'm aware that the beginning of the chapter is not my best work, but the current dire state of Charmed season 8 is really not good for inspiration! Trust me, the first half of this chapter is absolute balls! I hate it!

I'd like to thank Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of The Opera for my inspiration to write my Paige scene and give him credit for the song I use. Before I do my responses, I'd like to thank all those who reviewed my one-shot- 'Confessions of a Whitelighter/ Witch'.

BlueOrbs998- Gah, seriously, how do you make your reviews so awesome? I'm gald you liked Amy's quip about her breasts! I tried my hardest to make the first part of the chapter light, due to the intense emotion in the second half. Your comments on which, by the way, had my grinning broadly! Thanks Ally! You rock!

Prince Halliwell- Thanks for the review.

Fanmania- Heehee, big up the Scots! Thanks for the review!

Money makes me smile- Thanks for the review Jess! Had me cracking up! Randomness rules. You rock!

Kath- Thanks for the review! I'm SO happy you enjoy it! Lol. I miss you. Come home!

LeoPiper-Forever- Gah, 11 exams? Good luck! Thanks for the review, Miss Molly!

Moonfirefairy- thanks for the review!

Rebanana- Heehee, I'm flattered. Thank you!

RJF- There's some tough competition between you and Ally for best review ever! Lol. Seriously, made me smile a LOT! You rock. Thanks!

.elementbabe.- Thanks for the review! And I LOVE YOUR NAME! Peyton- so pretty!

Peanut2lb- YAY! You're back! (yes, I know you've been back for some time, but this is the first time I've replied to your review! Lol! Thanks very muchly!

Powerof4- Apparently you didn't review the last chapter! Lol, but this is to let you know I'll be reviewing your fic soon! PROMISE:D

**Chapter31- Unwrapping the Present**

"Shh!" Amy hissed, slamming the Book Of Shadows hard down on the kitchen table, causing everyone to turn in her direction with an almost identical confused expression spread on all of their faces. Piper, startled from her chain of thought jerked her head sideways, eyes widened. "Nobody say anything else."

"What the heck are you talking about?" Andy asked her, squinting his eyes in curiosity.

"She's from the past!" Amy gasped in alarm.

Silence settled on the kitchen. Piper closed her eyes tightly and suddenly began to wish the demonatrix had rendered her unconscious. She bowed her head forward and let out a frustrated grunt. This was not quite how she had hoped to come clean.

"_WHAT?_" Piper flinched at the sound of her sister's immensely frustrated voice. She apprehensively brought her head up and found all eyes resting on her. She bit down hard on her bottom lip, not dealing well with the attention. But through the sea of eyes, there was only one face Piper could look at: Paige. It wore a look of shock, anger, curiosity, disappointment... "The _past!_? No wonder you were acting so weird!" Future Paige's eyes widened and she slammed her arms down onto her knees before continuing, "How far in the past?"

"December 2008…" Piper mumbled almost inaudibly. She suddenly envied her family's orbing ability.

'Holy cow!' Came a different voice. Nobody appeared to have spoken, so apparently Piper was either insane, or Amy was communicating telepathically again.

'Ooh, Missy!' Piper thought angrily, knowing that Amy would still be reading her thoughts. 'When I get back to my own time you are _so_ grounded!'

'But-' Amy's facial expression turned to a defensive one. 'But I'm only five months old in your time…'

'That is _not_ the point!'

'But I'm the good one!'

'The good one…?'

"Amy!" The angry voice of Andy snapped. "Will you stop using your telepathy and let the woman talk!" In that moment Andy's likeness to his Aunt Prue had been too much for Piper to even believe.

"Andy, 'the woman' is still your mother- different year or not!" Paige scalded the nineteen year old, "But you were right, let her talk."

All eyes began to bare holes in Piper again. The blood was beginning to rush into her cheeks and discomfort settled on her. "I-" She stuttered. Words would not form properly in her mouth. "There really is a perfectly good explanation for thi-"

"2008?" Laura cut Piper off, wearing a sudden curious expression, "That means Mom hasn't be-"

"Laura!" Paige snapped, glaring at her daughter. "Let your aunt talk!"

Piper's brow furrowed in curiosity, but she continued with her explanation. "Phoebe and I cas-"

"Mom?" This time it was MJ who interrupted. Her voice was suddenly filled with what sounded like hope, thus confusing Piper greatly. "Is Mom in the future too?"

"I don-"

"Don't answer that!" This time it was Andy who snapped. He really was freakishly like the woman who had passed him her powers.

"Okay…" Piper's mind was racing. What could she say? She did not want to let Paige know her reason for casting the spell, but what other explanation could she give? She brought her hand to her head so that she could run her fingers through her hair- a nervous habit she could not remember being without-, but realised, once again, that her future self had placed her hair in a ponytail. This caused her to let out a prolonged groan, which left space for the two if her future nieces who were present to continue asking questions. They were firing them at her so quickly that she could barely register what they were saying.

The eldest Halliwell was almost ready to scream when the noise suddenly stopped. She jerked her head up and was met with a sudden swelling sensation in her stomach, which she knew only came from one thing: orbing. Confused, her eyes darted around the room. It did not take long to figure out that Paige had telekinetically orbed her. Where she was headed she did not know, but as her dematerialised form headed towards the roof of the kitchen she caught the sound of her own son's panicked voice.

"What are we going to do?"

The question rang in her mind as she rematerialised into her flesh form. What were _they_ going to do? What was _she _going to do! She was stuck in the future being interrogated by her own family, utterly bewildered by the commotion and still unaware of how her trip was going to help her help Paige.

A quick glance around the room she had found herself in told her that she was in her own bedroom. It was almost exactly the same, but for the cool blue of the walls and the new, indigo carpet. The temptation to look at the photographs and drawings which adorned the walls was almost too strong, but Piper decided she did not want to find out anything more about the future, for if she did, the consequences could be dire. To avoid the lure, she took a seat on the queen-sized bed and found herself letting out a sigh of relief as she sank into the heavenly comfort of the mattress which was obviously not the same as the one she slept on in 2008.

"Comfy?" Came a voice Piper recognised as Paige's.

She sat up in the centre of the bed and, feeling more awkward now than she had done in the kitchen, crossed her legs. "I guess," Piper replied timidly, not meeting her sister's eyes.

"You have no idea how long it took you to convince Leo to buy that mattress!" Paige told her, wheeling herself towards the bed. Although she was smiling, Piper could still see a deep inquisitiveness in her eyes. The eldest Charmed One did not know how to respond, so she didn't. She just remained in a tense silence on the bed, avoiding eye contact with her future sister. "The kids are making a potion to send you home. I orbed you up here so you didn't have to deal with MJ and Laura's twenty questions…" Paige continued. Her voice seemed less friendly this time.

"…Thanks." Piper replied. She couldn't help but think that she would be handling the situation much better if she did not have the constant reminder of Paige's wheelchair.

"Thanks?" Paige questioned with a disbelieving sneer, "I came up here to ask you twenty questions myself!"

"Oh…" Piper's stomach began to swell. She hadn't expected her sister to be so angry, but Paige looked rather annoyed.

"How did you even get here? The time travel spell in the book is a one time only thing!" As she spoke, Paige moved closer still. Much to Piper's dislike, the sisters' eyes firmly locked together and Piper was unable to turn away.

"Well…" She started, drawing a deep breath, "We wrote a spell ourselves." Paige looked mildly surprised- almost as if she had attempted to write a time travel spell herself and failed. "It wasn't intended for time travel though…" Piper continued, relaxing slightly. But she quickly regretted what she had just confessed.

"What was it intended for?" Paige asked. She was now as close to Piper as it was possible to get in a wheelchair. Piper was unable to lie.

"We…" She stammered. She had no idea how Future Paige was going to react. She knew if the Paige from her own time was to find out she would go ballistic, but this Paige seemed somehow different… "We wanted to…" She took a large gulp of air and clenched her fists, dreading Paige's reaction. "We wrote it so we could help you."

A vast array of emotions washed over the Youngest Charmed One's future face: shock, anger, sorrow and…happiness? Yes, the look which settled on Paige's face was not one which Piper had feared. She looked almost grateful… "Help me?" She asked curiously, "With what?"

"Overcoming your grief." Piper replied more bluntly than she had intended.

"Well…" Future Paige began, her head dropping so that she was staring at her knees. Her face seemed to contort as she, Piper assumed, thought back to December 2008. When she looked up again her eyes were slightly moister than they had been before.

When her sister did not speak, Piper felt the need to continue talking. "Of course, we know you were dealing with it in your own way, but you were becoming so secluded. We felt so helpless! This was the only way we could think of to help… though I'm not quite sure how coming to the future is helping me help you! All I've found out is that you're in a freaking wheelchair! And that is _not _helping me! It's just making me feel guiltier!"

Paige's expression was slightly shocked now. Apparently she had not been expecting Piper's sudden outburst. Piper continued to breathe deeply, regretting everything she had just said. But there was something about the mysteriousness in Paige's eyes which was compelling her to speak.

"Piper," Paige spoke calmly. "Why do you feel guilty?" She placed her hands firmly on Piper's knee and continued, "You are the only reason I can get through life like this!"

"…I am?" Piper stuttered, letting out the breath of air she did not know she had been holding.

"Yes," Paige replied. "You helped me through everything! …With Phoebe, of course! But trust me, you guys helped me so much. If you were sent here for any purpose at all it was to find out that being my big sister is all you need to do to help me!"

"Oh…" Piper was shocked, to say the least. But Paige had made perfect sense. That was a simple lesson to learn, and one Piper needed to learn, at that! "…Thank you." Piper said slowly. Paige returned the grateful smile.

Before they could continue the conversation, however, five figures appeared simultaneously in the bedroom. Andy, Amy, MJ, Laura and Warren all let their gazes rest on the two women near and on the bed.

"We finished the time travel potion." Andy announced, and then everyone- even Andy- erupted in another bout of twenty questions. Everyone, that is, except Warren.

"Hey, sir talks a lot." MJ said, slapping Warren on the arm lightly, causing him to look up from the floor, "You not gonna say anything?"

Piper watched as her nephew's deep and curious expression turned into a smirk. He was so much like Mark it was unreal, but the eldest Charmed One could only wonder why Warren was so quiet. From the pictures of her family lining the walls of the future Manor, Piper had imagined Warren to have his father's non-stop talking habit, but the boy she saw in front of her had anything but. He had barely spoken once, other than to his mother, since his arrival. Piper couldn't help but wonder if the burden of is power had affected his personality…

"Preserve nature:" he said suddenly. Piper looked up with a curious smirk. Warren was grinning broadly and looking MJ directly in the eyes, "Pickle a squirrel today." He continued with a toothy smirk. (AN- Hehe, credit to Simon for that wonderful comment.)

He finished his sentence, and Piper burst into hysterical laughter. The thick, tense atmosphere of the room had been so strong that Warren's unusual and highly unexpected comment had been too much of a contrast for Piper not to laugh at it. She hadn't laughed like this for a long time. Even with the unusual situation and pressure for her to tell her family why she was there, the mood drastically lightened thanks to her nephew's random comment.

"See?" Warren continued, pushing through Andy and Laura, taking a seat next to Piper on the bed and throwing a muscular arm around her petite shoulders. Piper was amazed at his strength and felt slightly uncomfortable in his hug, although she knew it was purely out of love. "She's still aunt Piper!"

"War," MJ addressed her youngest cousin with a roll of her eyes, "You scare me sometimes, know that?"

"I take pride in knowing I'm one of the only things that can." Warren said. Piper looked up into his smiling face and smiled too. Even though she would never admit, Piper could tell that she would have a soft spot for Warren as he aged, but only time would tell…

**xxxxx**

Five minutes later, Piper found herself alone in the future attic. Her goodbyes had been brief, as had her time in the bedroom with the future kids. Paige had shooed them out of the room quicker than they had arrived, muttering something about 'future consequences'. A cold, blue glow was washing over her skin. She had thrown the time travel potion at the attic wall and was now nervously procrastinating. She had no doubt that the potion would work, but she had a lurch of dread in her stomach. No matter how long she remained a witch for, stepping into blue vortexes was never going to be appealing.

"Aunt Piper, wait!" Piper froze in her tracks. She turned from the luminous blue, swirling vortex and, to her surprise, came face to face with her nephew. His bangs fell untidily over his midnight blue eyes and his face was etched with an emotion close to anxiety. Nervously, he placed his hands in his pockets and bit down on his lip.

"Warren?" Piper asked in curiosity, "What are you doing here?" She took a step back from the porthole and blinked several times to allow her eyes to grow accustomed to the dark of the rest of the attic. When she approached her nephew, who still made her feel small with his looming height and muscular build, he removed his hands from his jean-pockets and placed them firmly on the tops of her arms. He gave his head a quick shake, revealing bloodshot eyes, which contained a silent plea for help, and he opened his mouth.

"Piper," He replied, his face tightening, "Please…"

"Okay, I'm getting' a little freaked out over here!" Piper replied, utterly bemused. Though she was not used to her future nephew, she was wise enough to see when someone needed help. However, the manner in which Warren was addressing her was quite disconcerting. "What's the matter with you?"

"I have to tell you something." Warren replied calmly. He closed his eyes tightly for a moment, as if trying to focus himself, and he continued. "I can't keep it to myself any longer…"

"But why tell me?" Piper asked cautiously. She was going to be returning to 2008 any minute now. Why would Warren want to confide in her?

"Because…I have to." He said warily. Piper narrowed her eyes in curiosity. He had to? Why on earth would he- "But promise me you won't ask questions?"

"Well…okay, I guess." Warren had gained her undivided attention now. What on earth was he talking about?

"Piper…" Warren took a deep breath and when he continued to talk, he spoke in a hushed whisper. His face held the seriousness Piper very vaguely remembered Mark having when it came to situations that troubled him. His eyes shone in… relief? "He's still alive…"

Piper stood still for a moment, her face contorted in confusion. 'He's still alive'? Who was still alive? "_What?_" She asked bluntly.

"No questions," Warren replied, loosening the grip he had on her arms, "You promised." He gave her a cheeky grin which drew his likeness from Mark and replaced it with a stunning likeness to the oldest Halliwell sister, Prue. Piper stood, bemused. Warren had just told her a supposedly mysterious secret, which, judging by the way he was acting, had been something very important, and now he was all happy smiles again? She was so bewildered that when he enveloped her in a loving hug that she barely had the sense to hug back. "Say hi to Aunt Phoebe for me, okay?" He gave her a quick peck on the cheek and then he was gone.

Piper watched the cloud of blue and white lights disintegrate and her jaw began to protrude forward slightly as her mouth fell open in shock and perplexity. "What the _hell?_" She thought out loud. Her hands fell limply to her sides and she turned back to the porthole which would take her home. "What the hell?" She repeated absent-mindedly, shaking her head slightly. She began to take gradual steps towards the swirling cerulean vortex. She was no longer nervous about stepping into it. Warren's unexpected secret telling had her entirely focused on what he had told her. Extending her bottom lip she blew upwards so that her hair no longer fell into her face, and with a small yelp she was sucked into the time porthole.

**xxxxx**

With a resounding thud Piper fell to the floor. Still dazed from the intense journey, she found herself overwhelmed with the urge to vomit. This quickly left her though, when she realised the floor she had landed on was not covered in a vast array of hideous rugs. Her eyes scanned the room and her heart began to thud in relief.

"Thank _God!"_ She sighed, rising to her feet and approaching the table she and Phoebe had been standing at when they cast the spell. The small slip of white paper was still lying there innocently. Piper took great delight in ripping it up; She was in no hurry to go back to the future- ever again.

But then a sudden burst of panic engulfed her. Her eyes widened and her smile fell from her face. She jerked her neck upwards and took in a deep gasp of air. "Phoebe!" She whispered. She had cast the spell with her sister, who had been nowhere to be seen in the future. She was not in the present day attic either. Where on earth was she? "Phoebe!" Piper yelled, running towards the door, "Phoebe?"

As if by magic another loud bang echoed through the attic. Piper turned on her heals and came face to face with the unconscious form of the sister she had been searching for.

"Phoebe!" Piper gasped, rushing to her sister's side. Phoebe lay face down on the attic floor. She did not appear to be hurt, so Piper gradually turned her over and was shocked at what she saw. Not a scar or scratch adorned the middle Charmed One; not a single wound. But her face was raw and red; her eyes, though closed, were swollen and chafed. Wherever Phoebe had been, she had been crying. "Phoebs," Piper whispered, slapping her sister lightly on the face to try and arouse her, "Phoebe, you're home." She said.

Nothing.

Piper sat for a moment, her mind conjuring up thousands of possible locations from where Phoebe could have come from. She was not going to find out if any of her theories were correct, however, unless Phoebe would wake up. Unsure of whether it would work, she decided calling Leo to try and heal Phoebe would be the quickest way of awakening her sister. She drew a deep breath and opened her mouth wide, "Le-"

Before she could even finish her husband's name, blue and white orbs filled the attic with a gentle glowing light. She turned to face Leo, who had Amy in his arms, with a pleading look on her face, but when she saw the expression he wore she quickly straightened up.

"Piper!" Leo's voice scolded. Piper gulped. Perhaps their little trip had not gone unnoticed by the elders after all… "Time travel! What on earth were you thinking?"

Piper bit down on her lip, unsure of what to tell Leo. Clearly he knew what she and Phoebe had done… "I-" She paused, "We-" And again. "Paige needed our help."

"Paige?" Leo asked. At the same time Amy gave a small whimper in his arms. "Paige is perfectly fine!"

"On the outside, Leo." Piper replied. Her eyes met the vibrant green of her husband's and a silent message was communicated between them. Leo sighed and nodded understandingly. He moved towards the two older Charmed Ones and handed a still whimpering Amy to her mother.

"Still, Piper," Leo began, "Do you have any idea how close Phoebe was to changing the past? If the elders had gotten to her a second later, sister Agnes would have disc-"

"Whoa, wait! What?" Piper rose to her feet and began to bounce Amy on her hip in an attempt to stop the infant crying. It was hard to believe that, minutes before, the teenager her tiny baby girl would become had been mixing potions with her. "Phoebe was in the past?"

"Yeah…" Leo suddenly looked puzzled. "Didn't you know that?"

"No, Leo! We didn't intentionally time travel!"

As Leo bent down and placed his glowing hands over Phoebe's unconscious body, he looked up to Piper and gave her a questioning look, "Where were _you, _exactly?" He asked, "The elders had no problem tracking Phoebe because she was in a time which already existed, but they couldn't find you anywhere."

"I was in the future…" Piper replied. Amy had still not calmed down. Apparently her telepathy was being heightened by the uncertainty in the room.

"I gathered that, Honey,"

"Sixteen years from now…" Piper noticed Phoebe begin to stir and she found herself willing Phoebe to sit up and say something. She didn't want to share any of the details of her little trip. Not just yet, at least.

Leo looked apprehensive at Piper's reluctance to share information. His hands continued to emit a soft glow over Phoebe, but his attention was fixed firmly on his wife. "…And was everything…okay?"

Piper gave a sigh and she chose her words carefully. "It was," She began. She looked to Phoebe and her heart sank slightly; there had been no sign of her younger sister in the future. Of course, that didn't mean anything bad had happened to her, but Piper couldn't help wondering. "It was," She paused again, this time to look at Amy. Finally, the tiny little girl was calming down and her head rested lovingly on her mother's shoulder. Piper could still picture Amy's future self in her mind and she gave a broad smile as she did so. "It was perfect." She said, eventually. Of course, it had been everything but perfect in the fact Paige was in a wheelchair. And Piper was still dazed about her encounter with Warren in the attic, but she couldn't bring herself to worry anyone. She would continue lying until she had things sorted out in her own mind.

"And did it help you help Pai-"

Leo's sentence was interrupted by a loud intake of air as Phoebe sat bolt upright. "Paige!" She gasped. Her whole body began to tremble as large droplets of salty water trickled freely from the corners of her eyes. After running her hands over the cold wooden panels of the attic floor with flailing arms, her tense posture seemed to ease slightly, but she allowed a violent sob to escape her. She brought her knees to her chest and attempted to take a few steadying breaths, but the tears did not subside.

"Phoebe," Piper soothed, panic evident in her hushed whisper, "Phoebe, what's wrong?" She handed Amy to Leo, who shared his wife's concerned expression, and placed her arm around Phoebe's shoulder.

Phoebe jerked her sister away and bowed her head forward. "Am I home?" She asked apprehensively in a barely audible whisper. Her hands began vigorously wipe the tears from her face after she had spoken, and gradually the trembling of her body calmed.

"Yes, Phoebs." Piper replied softly, plucking a tissue from the table behind her and handing it to her younger sister, "You're home."

Phoebe's large sigh of relief was enough to tell Piper that Phoebe was more grateful than she had been to find herself in her own time. With her deep intake of breath she leaned her head backwards and closed her eyes, allowing calm to settle over her again. But she still looked troubled.

"Leo, take Amy downstairs." Piper said quietly, realising that Amy's sudden riled nature was due to the vast number of thoughts floating around the room. Although Leo still wore a concerned expression he obliged, slowly leaving the attic with his fussing daughter, leaving the two elder Charmed Ones alone.

"Are you okay?" Piper asked her sister, running a hand softly over Phoebe's hair.

Phoebe took a moment to reply. She shifted uncomfortably on the ground and reached silently for her big sister's hand. "It was horrible, Piper." She said slowly.

Piper gave Phoebe's hand a comforting squeeze. "What happened? Where were you?" Phoebe's silence did not answer the question. Piper could only guess which horrible event in Paige's past Phoebe had bore witness to. "…Mark?" She asked timidly. To this day neither she nor Phoebe really knew what had happened in the underworld. Clearly they still didn't, as Phoebe gently shook her head. "Paige's adoptive parents?" Again her voice was apprehensive, but Phoebe's head shook once again. Piper's mind refused to conjure any more suggestions. What Phoebe had seen was clearly traumatising her. Piper could not recall any moment in Paige's life which could have been so emotional.

"Mom." Phoebe whispered hoarsely. "…And Sam."

"Oh god!" Piper's eyes widened as a sudden jolt of realisation washed over her. "…The day Paige was given up?"

Phoebe gave a pained nod. Her expression said it all. "I…" She started, "It was just..." Her face contorted and she let go of Piper's hand, her arms falling limply to her sides. "…It's still all a blur..." Phoebe spoke as if she had been gargling shrapnel. Her body was still recovering from the onslaught that her power advancement had wrought on her. "I just remember feelings..." She locked eyes with her big sister, swallowing as her eyes began to reflect Piper's face. "I can't..." She said, choking, "I can't…" Clearly, Phoebe was unable to relive her experience. Piper knew that one day she would know what Phoebe had been through, but for now, she would let her sister rest. In the morning they would go and visit their baby sister.

**xxxxx**

Paige remained silent as she pushed Warren's stroller through the vast ocean of green and grey. Her breaths became deeper as her steps brought her closer to her destination. Rachael, by her side, clutching Paige's hand tightly, remained in the same awkward silence as her mother. Visiting Mark always brought on a rush of overwhelming emotions, but today the walk towards his memorial plaque felt as if it lasted forever. Ever since Hayden Smith's proposition at the school that morning, and with Rachael's dream about her father heavy on her mind, tension was thick. And as mother and daughter trudged sorrowfully towards the late Nauctater's memorial plaque, Paige had never felt guiltier.

The cold winter air prickled her skin and the bitter breeze on her face felt like thousands of pinheads piercing her bare flesh. Paige barely took any notice of it. Her large, glazed, brown eyes were fixed firmly on the small, granite arch which lay only feet from the pathway where Paige and her two youngest children walked. The youngest Charmed One's feet began to drag on the concrete beneath her and the speed at which she walked slowed tremendously. As his stroller drew to a complete halt, Warren began to shift uncomfortably, but Paige did not notice her son's sudden awkward behaviour. She found herself unable to focus on anything but Mark's memorial plaque.

It stood proudly at two feet tall. The marbled grey stone glistened, with the fresh remainders of raindrops reflecting what little sun could be found in the December sky. The inscription on the stone surface was visible through the rain. Paige's eyes began to cloud over as they scanned the beautifully written words.

'_Mark Rowland Anderson_

_October 16 1973- January 2 2008_

_Brother. Son. Father. Husband._

_Loved by all; Missed for eternity.'_

The grass surrounding it was beginning to grow taller than Paige liked it to be, but she was happy to see that the red rose she had placed at the foot of the headstone during her previous visit had not yet began to wilt.

Paige's melancholy trance was broken when she realised Rachael had moved from her side and was slowly trampling through the wet grass to reach her father's headstone. Her gradually reddening eyes followed her daughter as the petite three year old approached the beloved stone arch, which Paige had just been fixated by. Rachael's flaming hair was slowly coming loose of the ponytail she wore it in and her unzipped, lilac jacket was beginning to slip off of her stooped shoulders. The damp from the grass crept up the legs of her flower-embroidered jeans and even though her jaw quivered with cold, Rachael did not seem to care.

"Rachael," Paige called softly. Rachael did not turn round. "You're going to freeze if you don't get off the grass, Snowflake."

Still, Rachael took no notice of her mother. In fact, she only began to move quicker towards Mark's resting place. She allowed her jacket to slip off her body entirely and she began to run. "Daddy…" She whispered hoarsely, coming to a halt in front of the headstone. Her voice held a sorrowful edge, but was also brimmed with anger. She dropped to her knees and immediately the denim of her jeans began to dampen. Had Paige not been so curious as to what Rachael was doing, she would have told Rachael to get up, but as it was, Rachael's actions were all Paige could concentrate on.

Her small and trembling hands slowly began to wipe the raindrops from the front of the stone, but when they reached the symbol engraved above the inscription, she stopped. She extended her index finger and began to trace the lines of the intricate carving: two interlocking pentagrams, which symbolised the ways of the Nauctater. She heaved a huge sigh and leaned in towards the granite cenotaph. Her lips began to move and hushed whispers escaped her, but Paige could not decipher her daughter's soft words. She did not know what had happened in her daughter's dream, but it had clearly affected Rachael in a way Paige had never seen before.

Rachael's face wore no expression. Her head bowed forward slightly and her shoulders arched uncomfortably, but the redhead showed not even a slight insight into her feelings. Paige bent forward to put the brake on Warren's stroller on, but as she moved just a fraction closer to Rachael, something caught her eye. Rachael's hand was placed flat on the headstone and gradually creeping out from under her palm were small, icy lines of white frost; they looked almost like miniscule lightening bolts of frozen water.

"Rachael," Paige gasped. Although she knew Rachael enjoyed using her powers, she also knew that the way in which they were currently working meant that her daughter was feeling some intense emotion. She vigorously pushed the break on the stroller down and dashed through the overgrown grass. The wet soaking up her legs sent a chill down her spine, but she ignored it. She stepped over her daughter's jacket and eventually reached her destination.

She scooped Rachael into her arms and pulled her tightly to her chest. Rachael's cheek brushed across her mother's and Paige was startled at just how cold it was. She turned to look at her daughter and her mouth almost fell open. Extending from the corners of Rachael's eyes were delicate streaks of icy frost. Rimming her eyelashes and her bottom eyelid were small sprinkles of glacial white powder. Apparently Rachael's cryokinesis was more powerful than anyone had realised.

Paige, full of panic, quickly managed to remove her own coat. The warmth the brown suede had been giving her left instantaneously and the freezing winter temperatures hit her at tremendous force, but all Paige cared about was keeping her daughter warm. With one sweep of her free hand, she placed that large coat over Rachael's shoulders and began to rub her hand up and down the redhead's back. Still, Rachael remained silent. But the icy patches on her face were slowly fading, and Paige gave a grateful sigh.

With her panic gone, her gaze turned to the small granite monument she stood next to. She read over the inscription more times than she could count. '_Loved by all; Missed for eternity.'_ The words tugged at her heart, but, for Rachael's sake, she refused to let a single tear fall.

_You were once my one companion,_

_You were all that mattered._

_You were once a friend and father,_

_Then my world was shattered…_

Goosebumps began to settle on the surface of her exposed skin, but she was too transfixed by his grave to move. It had almost been a year since his death, but it still tore her up inside to think about him. He had left her. And she hated him for it. But she knew her anger only came from guilt. On some level, Paige still believed she should have died instead of her husband. A small spark in her heart still felt responsible.

_Wishing you were somehow here again._

_Wishing you were somehow near._

_Sometimes it seemed if I just dreamed,_

_Somehow you would be here…_

She let a single tear escape her and she vowed it would be the only one. She missed him more than words could say. A part of her had been torn away in his death, but she couldn't let it affect her now; not when the one year anniversary of his death was approaching. She was just learning not to dwell on the past, but just one more moment with him would mean the world to her.

_Wishing I could hear your voice again,_

_Knowing that I never would._

_Dreaming of you won't help me to do_

_All that you dreamed I could…_

Rachael's cold fingers began to dig into her mother's back. Paige pulled her daughter closer. For a moment she let her eyes trail across the graveyard. Mark's memorial plaque was surrounded by thousands of others. Paige realised that held within this place was more sorrow than she could comprehend, but she couldn't help but think that Mark's name should not be among the thousands of others who had passed on.

_Passing bells and sculpted angels;_

_Cold and monumental,_

_Seem, for you, the wrong companions -_

_You were warm and gentle_

_Too many years fighting back tears,_

_Why can't the past just die…?_

Her eyes came to rest once more on her husband's memorial plaque. With the wave of her hand the rose, which rested at the foot of the grave, was surrounded in orbs. It reappeared in the same place, only this time it was upright instead of leaning towards the ground as it had been before. Paige was amazed by the roses durability. It had been out in the cold for three weeks and was still as fresh as it had been when she had laid it there. Perhaps it was a symbol of their undying love…

_Wishing you were somehow here again;_

_Knowing we must say goodbye._

_Try to forgive, teach me to live,_

_Give me the strength to try…_

She turned from the headstone and ran her hand across Rachael's soft red hair. She placed a gentle kiss on the top of her daughter's forehead and gulped back the tears which were fighting to fall. She couldn't stay in the graveyard any longer; She was too close to breaking down. "You cause more trouble than your worth, Spanky." She whispered, a small smirk passing her lips. She did not notice the small cloud of green orbs envelope the rose she had just altered the position of…

_No more memories, no more silent tears._

_No more gazing across the wasted years._

_Help me say 'Goodbye'…_

Paige picked Rachael's jacket from the ground as she began to walk towards the pathway. The eerie silence of the cemetery was abruptly broken by the shrill cry of the youngest Charmed One's son. At the sound of her son's tears Paige's pace quickened. She eventually reached the stroller and, before placing her on the ground, Paige gave Rachael a loving smile. Rachael did not return it.

"Baby, what's the matter?" The youngest Charmed One asked her crying son. She lifted him from his pram and began to rock him back and forth. He calmed at his mother's touch and Paige heaved a sigh of relief. She already had one distressed child to deal with.

She gently returned Warren to his stroller and found Rachael's hand outstretched, waiting for Paige to take it. Paige did so with love, and the three made their way back towards the car park in silence. The youngest Charmed One remained unaware of what her sisters had just been through for her.

**xxxxx**

The warm glow of the moon through the large south-facing window was the only light source in Charlotte's bedroom. Phoebe padded across the soft yellow carpet with a smile playing at the sides of her lips. She turned her head towards the far wall; on which was painted the delicate sunset she and Paige had spent so long working on. She closed the cupboard's large oak doors and stepped over the various toys which adorned the floor, causing her smile to grow. She was suddenly grateful for everything that reminded her of her daughters.

In her arms, Charlotte gave a sleepy grunt and her heavy eyelids began to fall closed, making Phoebe's smile grow to its peak. The middle Charmed One was slowly becoming mesmerised by her youngest daughter. What she had experienced that day in the past had made her value her family more than she could comprehend. She had realised just how worthless her life would have been without her daughters, and she was now determined to spend as much time with them as possible.

"…Bed." Charlotte grumbled sleepily through a huge yawn as she pointed a tiny hand towards the corner of the room where her small, inviting bed awaited her. Having just reached two years old, Charlie's vocabulary had begun to stretch further than 'Mummy', 'Daddy' and 'MJ".

"That's right, sleepy head." Phoebe replied proudly, "Bed time for my little Princess." She pulled back the orange duvet and took a seat on the edge of the mattress, placing her daughter next to her. She straightened Charlotte's pink pyjama top and planted a soft kiss on her button nose, an inane grin spread on her face the whole time. Never had she been so grateful for her daughter's company. She almost sis not want to let Charlie sleep, just so she could have another moment with her.

Charlotte's small arms stretched up and wrapped around Phoebe's neck. Too small to reach her mother's face, Charlotte left a wet kiss on Phoebe's shoulder. "G'nye…" She whispered drowsily, falling back onto her feather pillow and pulling her thumb into her mouth.

"Goodnight," Phoebe replied contently. Carefully she brought her feet up onto the bed and placed her head next to her daughter's on the pillow. Her mahogany eyes gazed into Charlotte's almost sleeping, chocolate brown ones.

Charlotte was fast asleep within minutes. Phoebe remained lost in her youngest daughter's beauty as she got to her feet, still smiling happily. "Sleep tight, Pumpkin." She whispered. From now on, Phoebe promised to value every minute she was given to spend with her daughters.

"MJ," Phoebe whispered suddenly. Her eldest was currently spending the night with the Turners, but that did not dampen Phoebe's determination to speak to her before the night was over. She silently pulled the door of Charlotte's bedroom closed and removed her cell phone from her pocket, dialling the number to Cole's house before she even looked at the screen. It rang three times before anyone answered.

"Hi Danielle," Phoebe spoke, "It's Phoebe." She paused to let her friend greet her. "Can I just talk to Melinda-Jayne for a minute before you guys put her to bed?"

"Sure," Danielle replied with an edge of curiosity in her voice, "She's saying goodnight to Ben just now, let me go get her…"

Phoebe smiled. She knew the next time she saw Paige she was going to make sure she knew just how much she was loved.

**xxxxx**

Piper's eyes had not left the family portrait, which hung on her wall, for the past ten minutes. Her three little angels gazed back at her from within the wooden frame and, though the beauty they had as children entranced her, she found herself unable to rid her mind of thoughts of their future selves. She had not met Prue's future self, but she had no doubt her eldest was equally as fabulous as Andy and Amy had been.

"Piper!" Leo's voice interrupted her train of thought, "You coming to bed?" He called. Piper smiled and let out an affectionate sigh.

"Yeah, honey! I'll be up in a minute!" She answered, deciding that with all she had been through in the past twenty-four hours, it was probably better for her to be going to bed. But as she turned to head up the stairs, a picture of the Anderson family caught gaze. It had been taken just days before Mark's death- before Warren had been born. But it was Warren who Piper couldn't help thinking about. His future self was playing on her mind more than her own children were. What had he meant in the attic, and why had he had to tell her? That was something she would probably never understand.

'_He's still alive._'

It was almost like a broken record in her mind. It played over and over, each time becoming more irritating. Who was still alive? Piper knew guessing was pointless. Without anyone to confirm her guesses, thinking about what future Warren had told her was only going to lead to her losing a lot of sleep.

She shook her head and continued on her way up the stairs. Before she could even take two steps towards the landing, however, the same picture caught her eye again. In it, Mark's gaze was settled on his giggling daughters, but the blue of his eyes had seemed, for a moment, to call out to Piper. And then her jaw dropped.

"Mark…" She gasped. "…It couldn't be… could it?"

AN- End. Finally the end of that plot! Lol. Enjoy? Hopefully! Lol. Reviews are welcome! No idea when the next chapter will be up. Not as soon as I'd like it to be because of my crap load of work! But I'll give you a small teaser anyway:

**Bother in Law- **A string of unconnected demon attacks leads the Charmed Ones to believe there is a new 'big bad' in the Underworld. And an unexpected visit from someone only Paige is familiar with introduces a new character to the cast of LOM.

And because I think it's probably necessary I'm going to list all of the kids' powers, since I'm sure it gets confusing. Lol.

**Prudence Louisa Halliwell-Wyatt** - Telekinetic Orbing, Levitation, Orbing, Healing.

**Andrew Victor Halliwell-Wyatt** – Orbing, Telekinesis

**Amy Helena Halliwell-Wyatt** – Telepathy, Orb shielding (Not shown this power since being in the womb).

**Laura Rose Anderson** - Temporal Stasis, Orbing, Molecular Acceleration.

**Rachael Patricia Anderson **- Cryokinesis

**Warren Samuel Mark Anderson** - Pyrokinesis/Firestarting

**Melinda-Jayne Halliwell** – Temporal Stasis spheres, Molecular Acceleration spheres, Shimmering.

**Charlotte Penelope Halliwell-Dean** – Premonitions.

**Benjamin Coleridge Turner **– Powers bound at birth.

Yes, I know the power distribution seems rather unfair, but just wait for power advances… ;)

Until next time! Laur x


	32. Bother in Law

WOOHOO! I managed to update within two weeks! AH! First time in AGES!

Howdy Doody there folks! Okay, so we're no longer allowed to do review responses, but a BIG thank you to everyone who reviewed, and a special welcome to my new readers! As we all know this is the penultimate chapter of 'The Third Child Prophecy'. Scary to think it's been posted for almost a YEAR! I'm introducing a new permanent character to the crew in this chapter. I know it seems like an odd place to do so, but it seemed fitting. I just hope you like him. Also, the start of this chapter is slightly odd, but don't panic. It shall be explained. And I guess I should leave you to read! Toodle pip for now!

Laur x

**Chapter32- Bother in Law**

_±Charlotte could only watch helplessly as her Uncle Leo's lifeless body flew through the air at a rapid speed, eventually colliding with the living room wall, resulting in a thunderous bang. Her Aunt Piper screamed in both panic and anger, hesitating before rushing to her husband's side._

"_Leo!" Her voice rang out. Of course, Leo did not respond. His unconscious form lay crumpled at the side of the room._

"_Charlotte." Her father approached her. "Charlotte, listen to me. I need you to stay here. Do not move. Okay?"_

_Charlotte did not answer her father. Even behind the protective shield of the couch, she could see everything that was happening around her. A pungent smell of stale smoke was present in the air, accompanied by an extremely unpleasant stench of something which reminded the two year old of vomit. And now the sight of her Uncle Leo's wounded form was disturbing her even further. She knew he couldn't die, but that did not make it any less frightening…_

_The sound of thick, rasping breathing began to approach the terracotta, suede couch, and panic rushed into Charlie's heart. A bead of sweat trickled down her father's creased forehead as he planted a kiss on her tearstained cheeks. "Stay here." He repeated firmly, and he turned away, removing a small, silver athame from a hoop in his belt._

"_I don't appreciate demons in my house." She heard her father say quietly. His voice, though in a mere whisper, held more anger than she had ever known her father to experience. "Leave. Now."_

"_Or what?" A mocking voice replied in almost a growl._

"_Or…"_

"_Jason!" It was Piper's voice this time, in a tone of warning._

"_Or I'll kill you." Jason replied._

_What followed was a dark and hollow laughter, which seemed to echo through the room. In trepidation, Charlotte crawled to the edge of the sofa. Tears were falling down her cheeks, and her hands trembled, but it was concern more than fear which affected her now. She couldn't let anything happen to her Daddy._

_When her head poked around the side of the sofa, she could barely even register what was happening. Her coffee brown eyes widened in utter terror as she watched her father lunge towards the demon with the athame held tightly in his outstretched hand. With a condescending snarl, the demon threw his left fist forward and knocked Jason backwards. A resounding crack was heard. Clearly the demon had broken Jason's ribs._

_Her Aunt Piper had risen to her feet now and was desperately attempting to blow the demon up. Her attempts, however, took no effect. After having doubled over in pain, Jason had returned to a standing position and, gritting his teeth, he threateningly thrust the athame forward. Before he could release it from his hand, however, the demon had formed a glowing red fire ball in his palm and was preparing to throw it._

"_Daddy!" Charlotte screamed in terror._

"_Jason!" Piper shrieked at the same time._

_They were too late. Jason Dean had been reduced to a pile of ash.±_

**xxxxx**

Charlotte's blood-curdling scream rang out through the Dean household at a deafening volume. The car keys- belonging to her father-, which she had been playing with, fell to the floor with a lout clatter. She continued to scream until her lungs could no longer bare it, and then she began to cry. "Daddy!" She yelled, loudly.

Hearing his daughter's distressed scream, Jason dropped his glass of water, allowing it to shatter on the floor. Panic beginning to curse through his veins; he screamed his daughter's name more loudly than he could ever recall shouting before. He pushed the kitchen door open with such force that the door handle left a dent in the wall where it had slammed into it, and he raced through the corridors and into the living room. Charlotte stood in the centre her playpen, her face wearing such a look of dread it was almost unnerving.

"Baby, what's wrong?" He gasped, scooping her into his arms. He hugged her close to his chest and kissed her sandy brown hair. She did not stop crying. "It's okay…" She soothed. "Daddy's here… Shh." With her small, weak arms, she managed to push herself away from his chest, and her horror filled eyes gazed at him in disbelief. After blinking several times, her tears started up again, painfully wracking her chest.

**xxxxx**

Piper smiled, watching from the living room window as Phoebe's silver Porsche pulled out of the driveway and set off towards her own house in Pacific Heights. When the car was gone from sight the eldest Charmed One turned back towards her father, who was standing by the fireplace admiring the photographs of various family members.

"Are you staying for dinner?" She enquired, stepping up beside him so she too could take a glance at the memories captured by camera.

"Sorry?" Victor asked, "My hearing isn't what it used to be…"

Piper grinned, shaking her head. "I asked if you were staying for dinner?"

"Oh." Her father replied, a sudden look of nervousness passing over his face. "Well… I'd love to, but I think I should probably head home…"

"Dad." Piper rolled her eyes and looked into Victor's face with an amused, almost patronising smile. "I know I said there had been an unusual amount of demon attacks lately, but I'm pretty sure you'll be safe for one meal!"

Victor hesitated before answering. "Well, I guess an evening with my grandchildren would be good for me. I only wish Phoebe had brought Charlotte as well as Melinda-Jayne."

"Yeah, but she did say Charlotte has been acting kinda jumpy all morning… Maybe she has a flu or something."

"Very possibly," Victor agreed, placing the picture of the young girl in question back onto the mantelpiece. "There's a lot of that going round at the moment. The little boy across the corridor from my apartment ha-"

Victor's story was cut short by the ringing of a telephone. Piper strode quickly to the other side of the room, and answered in a cheerful manner.

"Hello, Piper Halliwe-" Victor watched his daughter's smile turn to a look of sheer bewilderment and she began to nervously twirl the telephone cable round her index finger. "What?" Her eyes squinted. "Jason, calm down!"

"Jason?" Victor asked, "Is everything okay?"

Piper shrugged in response and continued her phone conversation. "No, Phoebe just left… have you tried changing her?"

"Who's on the phone?" Leo was now in the doorway, with Amy in his arms and Prue and Andy not far behind him. Andy pushed past his father and approached Victor, grabbing onto his leg, whilst Prue watched her mother in curiosity.

"How long has she been crying for? …Whoa! Are you sure there was nothing in the room? No demons? Nothing?" A frown spread across her face and she turned towards Leo. "I doubt it's magic related Jason, she's probably just si-" Piper's jaw dropped and she stopped talking. Faintly, from the receiver, the echo of a scream could be heard, and everyone present in the Manor was now on full alert. "Jason?" Piper gasped. "Jason?" No answer. "Jason!" The line was dead. She threw the phone to the floor and turned to her father. "Look after the kids. If anything happens call for Leo or Paige." And then to her husband. "Take me to Phoebe's, now!"

**xxxxx**

The flurry of blue and white lights materialised in the corner of the newly decorated living room. Piper literally leapt from her husband's grasp and her eyes began to dart around the room. It did not take long to discover the reason for Jason's panicked screams on the phone.

Looming in the corner, standing over a cowering Charlotte with a fireball poised in his hand was a demon like no other Piper had seen before. His grotesque, grey skin seemed to be stretched around his large powerful arms to such an extent that it was almost pulled apart by its tightness. The skin on his chest- or what was visible of it; not covered by a shredded, denim vest- was the same, but his scalp, which only held three or four tufts of loose, stringy back hair, was different. Large flakes of white dead skin appeared to be pealing off of it, and the ancient tribal marking engraved on the demon's neck was so faded it was almost not visible at all.

"Hey!" Piper yelled loudly. She succeeded in gaining the demon's attention. She let out a sigh of relief, knowing he was no longer lurking over her screaming niece. "Leave her alone!" She flung her arms forward, putting her offensive power into action. The demon did not blow up. "Aw, crap." Piper grumbled, "I hate when that happens." Her wrists flicked again, this time freezing the demon mid-movement, allowing the Charmed One to rush to her niece's aid.

The collar of Charlotte's turquoise dress was covered in fresh tears, and her deep breathing sounded wheezy, indicating that Jason had not been lying about the length of time Charlie had been crying for. Jason had been lying, unconscious in the corner of the room, but as Piper picked Charlotte into her arms, Leo was healing the mortal. "Hey, sweetie. It's okay." Piper attempted to soothe. The tears still did not subside.

"Charlotte!" Jason gasped, sitting bolt upright. The golden glow which had been surrounding Leo's palm faded, and the whitelighter helped his friend up. "Thanks, Leo." He whispered, before pushing past and dashing towards his daughter. In her father's arms, the two year old calmed slightly and Jason wore an expression of immense relief.

"What happened?" Piper questioned, rubbing her hand on the back of Charlotte's head.

"One minute I was on the phone to you," Jason replied. At this point he pulled Charlotte tighter to his chest. "Next thing I know there's a demon in the room trying to take Charlie."

Piper's eyebrows raised and her curious expression deepened. "My powers don't work on him. Do you have an athame or anything I can use to…Oh crap!" At the sight of the hideous demon inching forward, breaking from the freeze, Piper began to panic. She pushed Jason in the direction of the couch and stared at him with utter authority on her face. "Do not move." She told him.

"I have an athame." Jason replied. His hand moved to the back of his belt, but before he could even retrieve the weapon from his pocket, Piper had turned in the direction of her husband's panicked shout.

"Piper!" Leo's voice rang out through the air.

That was when Charlotte began to panic even more. Things were beginning to play out just as she had seen them in her vision.

She could only watch helplessly as her Uncle Leo's lifeless body flew through the air at a rapid speed, eventually colliding with the living room wall, resulting in a thunderous bang. Her Aunt Piper screamed in both panic and anger, hesitating before rushing to her husband's side.

"Leo!" Her voice rang out. Of course, Leo did not respond. His unconscious form lay crumpled at the side of the room.

"Charlotte." Her father whispered. "Charlotte, listen to me. I need you to stay here. Do not move. Okay?"

Charlotte did not answer her father. Even behind the protective shield of the couch, she could see everything that was happening around her. A pungent smell of stale smoke was present in the air, accompanied by an extremely unpleasant stench of something which reminded the two year old of vomit. And now the sight of her Uncle Leo's wounded form was disturbing her even further. She knew he couldn't die, but that did not make it any less frightening…

This was exactly the same. She couldn't let her father die. She grabbed on to the sleeve of his red shirt and refused to let go, her bottom lip quivering and her eyes clouding over with tears once more.

"No," She whispered. Jason had other ideas.

"You have to be brave." He said, wiping a tear away from her cheek with his thumb. "Nothing bad will happen to me."

The sound of thick, rasping breathing began to approach the terracotta, suede couch, and the revolting smell grew stronger. Panic rushed into Charlie's heart. A bead of sweat trickled down her father's creased forehead as he planted a kiss on her tearstained cheeks. "Stay here." He repeated firmly, pulling his sleeve from his daughter\s grasp. And he turned away, removing a small, silver athame from a hoop in his belt.

"I don't appreciate demons in my house." She heard her father say quietly. His voice, though in a mere whisper, held more anger than she had ever known her father to experience. "Leave. Now."

"Or what?" A mocking voice replied in almost a growl.

"Or…"

"Jason!" It was Piper's voice this time, in a tone of warning.

"Or I'll kill you." Jason replied.

What followed was a dark and hollow laughter, which seemed to echo through the room. In trepidation, Charlotte crawled to the edge of the sofa. Tears were falling down her cheeks, and her hands trembled, but it was concern more than fear which affected her now. She couldn't let anything happen to her Daddy. She screamed for him, loudly. Her voice was weak from crying, but it still met the ears of everyone in the room.

When her head poked around the side of the sofa, she could barely even register what was happening. Her coffee brown eyes widened in utter terror as she watched her father lunge towards the demon with the athame held tightly in his outstretched hand. With a condescending snarl, the demon threw his left fist forward and knocked Jason backwards. A resounding crack was heard. Clearly the demon had broken Jason's ribs.

"NO!" Charlotte screamed as loud as she could possibly manage. "Daddy, no!"

Piper's head snapped up from where she had been kneeling over Leo, who was beginning to regain consciousness. Her eyes darted from Jason, who was clearly in agony, doubled over in pain, to Charlotte who was literally screaming for her father to move. After a few seconds of looking between the two, everything began to unfold in Piper's mind: Charlotte's power. Premonition. The reason she had been so upset earlier was because she had received her very first premonition. And Piper was willing to bet that what her niece had seen had involved her father and this demon.

The eldest Charmed One leapt to her feet and began to charge towards her brother-in-law. "Jason, move!" She yelled, tackling him to the floor, a fireball lightly scuffing her back. She had just saved his life. "Athame." She ordered. Though he was still contorted in agony, he was able to hand Piper the weapon he still clutched in his hand.

She jumped to her feet again and turned to face the demon. "I'm getting sick of doing this." She sneered, lunging for the demon. She moved so quickly he didn't even have time to react, and as the athame punctured his skin, flames erupted around him. "_Fourth_ time this week!" She announced in disbelief.

**xxxxx**

That evening, after convincing Victor to go home and stay out of harms way, each member of the Halliwell family sat in the attic, awaiting Leo's return from 'up there'. After the demon attack at the Dean's home that afternoon, Piper had decided it was time they do something about the random and completely unconnected demon attacks that had been experiencing recently.

"How long do you think Leo will be?" Phoebe questioned. "I think I oughta get Charlie home to bed… after the day she's had."

"Shouldn't be too long Phoebs. He's been gone over an hour." Paige replied impatiently. She and the kids had been on their way to the cinema when Piper had called her demanding she came to an emergency family meeting.

"Will you two stop moaning?" Piper snapped. "In the last five days we have been attacked four times! Don't you think that's a little odd- even for our standards?"

"…I guess so." Phoebe replied, "But it could just be coincidence."

"I don't think so." Leo's voice emerged from the cloud of orbs which was forming in the corner.

"What do you mean?" Paige questioned, turning to face him.

"Well…" His face bore a grim expression. One which suggested he was about to reveal some very bad news. "The elders think they know the reason behind the sudden increase in demonic activity."

"And…" Piper urged him to continue.

"Well," Leo took a gulp of air and the serious expression he wore began to worry the Charmed Ones and Jason. "They think the Underworld is regrouping… forming factions…" He hesitated, almost unable to give the final piece of information he had been informed of. "…trying to impress the new Source."

"_WHAT?_" Piper gasped. Leo nodded in reply.

As the information sank in, everyone suddenly became on edge. Jason had never experienced the Source of All Evil, but the tales he had heard from his wife and sisters-in law had been enough to frighten him. He looked at all three sisters and gave an apprehensive sigh. Though the children remained slightly confused, the adults knew exactly what this meant. A new Source. Nobody had been expecting that. Not even for one moment. This was going to mean very bad things for the Halliwells. Dark times lay ahaead.

A tense silence fell on the attic of the Halliwell Manor. Phoebe slowly moved a shaking hand onto the back of the floral loveseat and lowered herself onto the soft cushions, between her eldest daughter and her husband. Neither the comfort of the seat, nor Jason's hand on her shoulder was of any console to the Middle charmed one now. Her mahogany eyes filled with panic as her brow knitted and she brought her other hand up to her face. She began to shake her head in slow and tiny motions, a sheer look of disbelief had washed over her. The last time she had felt a lurch of dread in her stomach as large as this one had been just over a year ago when Decron had returned. It had almost cost the Charmed Ones their lives the last time The Source had attacked. He couldn't be back… not now.

Paige suddenly found herself clutching Warren more closely to her chest than was necessary. The Source was back. That meant even more danger for her children to face. She placed a silent kiss on her son's mass of dark curls and extended her free arm so that it wrapped tightly around Laura and Rachael's shoulders. The two girls were eyeing her in curiosity and confusion, but they could see the panic on their mother's face and remained in the same quiet tension as the rest of their family. Paige pursed her lips and her face hardened. By panicking she was only going to make herself more vulnerable. If the Source wanted a fight, it was a fight he would get. No demon was going to break or hurt her family in any way- not again.

Piper's face, like her sisters', held a mixture of panic, concern, anger and determination. There was too much emotion rushing through her for even Piper to pinpoint exactly how she felt. The sound of her heals clicking on the wooden floor at a steady and even pace was the only prominent noise in the room, accompanied by the deep breathing of the eldest Charmed One. Piper watched Leo try and soothe the Halliwell-Wyatts' youngest child, and at the same time Prue and Andy made their way towards their father- clearly sensing that the news he had just brought meant something very bad. Then Piper's gaze moved from Phoebe and her family, to Paige, who was protectively holding her children close. Piper was not going to let anything bad happen to any of them. As the oldest sister it was her responsibility to protect everyone, just as she had done during the battle in which they had vanquished the Source last time. The Source would not see victory if Piper had anything to say about it.

"What is… a Source?" It was MJ's curious and innocent voice that broke through the thick anxiety which had been looming over the room.

Piper stopped pacing and Paige's grip on her children loosened somewhat, while Phoebe turned her head towards her daughter. However, it was not just MJ who was awaiting an answer. It appeared that all of the kids were itching to find out the significance of the name which had brought the Charmed Ones to silence.

"Well, Sweetheart," Phoebe began, giving Piper a sideways glance. How could they explain The Source to their children? "He's a-" Phoebe cut off her own sentence when she felt something breeze past her neck. She jerked her head sideways and squinted her eyes. There was nothing there. "Did anyone else feel that?" She asked, but was met with puzzled stares.

"Feel what?" Piper asked, taking a step towards her sister with raised hands, cocking an eyebrow.

"Uh…nothing. I guess it was my imagination…" A shiver ran down her spine and she tensed the muscles in her shoulders, but she managed to convince herself she was just paranoid. "The Source is… well, he's a very bad demon."

"To put it in the simplest words possible…" Paige added under her breath.

"You're Aunties and I fought him a long time ago," Phoebe continued, still addressing her eldest daughter.

"How big was I?" MJ enquired, edging slightly closer to her mother.

"You weren't even born, honey. It was even before Prue was bo-" She felt it again- a breeze sweeping past her neck. But this time the breeze was stronger, and Phoebe knew it was not her imagination. "There it is again!" She announced, loudly.

"What?" Piper questioned, both her eyebrows raised now in a look which suggested her younger sister was crazy.

"I don't know! _Wind!_"

"Okay, Phoebs you're either paranoid or crazy! It's the middle of winter- all the windows are shut! How can there be wind in the attic?"

"No…" Paige spoke quietly, shifting forward uncomfortably, taking her children with her. "…I felt something too."

"Are you _sure?_"

"…Yeah." Paige replied, apparently questioning herself too. "It was like…"

"Wind brushing your back?" Phoebe enquired, standing from her seat and lifting MJ onto her hip, allowing the four-year-old's head to rest on her chest. She gave a curt nod towards Jason, signalling that he should hold Charlotte closer to him. If another demon was going to attack she did not want her daughter to be as upset as she had been that morning.

"Exactly." Paige told her sister. "It's probably nothing to worry about, but if it is a demo- _whoa!_"

Suddenly, the youngest Charmed One's whole body tensed. She pulled Warren closer still to her chest and the arm which she had just removed from her daughters' shoulders grew stiff. Her doe brown eyes grew wide, and goosebumps began to surface on her porcelain skin. The loose material on her floor-length mauve, tiered skirt began to flutter in the draught, which was now swirling around her. Within seconds the light and seemingly harmless breeze had turned into a ferocious wind. Paige's hair began sweeping wildly across her face, and at the same time her daughters found themselves caught in the brutal airstream.

"Kids, downstairs!" Her voice rang out through the attic. Various orbs scattered throughout the attic, as Paige waved her free hand to the side, using her powers to transport the kids to the safety of Piper's bedroom.

Before anyone could register what was happening, a powerful force of wind was rushing around the entire attic in a gigantic sweeping circular motion. Potion vials smashed against walls, cauldrons overturned, and the Book of Shadows found itself hurtling around the room with the air current. Apprehending a demon attack, the three Charmed One's fought with the gale that was circling the room, and made sure their respective husbands were hidden from harms way behind the already battered wooden table which had been thrown onto its side by the winds.

They watched in bewilderment and apprehension, as the huge looping air current grew smaller. The papers and cushions which had been blowing near the edge of the room began to slowly flutter to a halt, but the winds which were beginning to form almost a miniature tornado in the centre of the room appeared to grow stronger. The Book of Shadows finally fell to the ground with a resounding thud and the howling of the gust stopped, but the tornado remained, still encasing many potion vials and stray sheets of paper.

The Charmed Ones, by this time, had joined hands. They stood only feet away from the sucking vortex of wind, each wearing the same determined expression. This would be the fifth demon attack in five days, and, for lack of a better term, it pissed them off. Paige had grabbed one of the only remaining vials from the attic floor and she clutched it firmly in her left hand. Phoebe had taken a leaf out of her husband's book and was gripping tightly to the handle of a rather sharp athame, ready to strike at any moment, and Piper, who had been holding onto Phoebe and Paige, released her sisters' hands and threw her own arms forward, hoping to blow up the demon when it emerged.

Before any of the Charmed Ones could even comprehend what was happening, however, a large figure was hurtling towards them. They had no time to react as the muscular and bare chested man sped towards them at rapid speed.

"BUGGER!" The gruff voice echoed through the room, rich with an accent similar to, but stronger than, the Scottish one Mark had spoken with.

Paige and Phoebe barely managed to leap out of harms way in time, but unfortunately for Piper, she was right in the path of the speeding figure. She had forced all the power she could muster in her sudden panic into her fingertips and her body tensed as she awaited her powers to take effect, but she was too late. Before her molecular acceleration could blow up the man who had emerged from the tornado he had slammed into her at such a great force that she had been knocked to her feet. The explosion, however, had still taken effect, only aiding in increasing Piper's anger in the fact that her bookcase was now shattered and had joined the debris -and the eldest Charmed One- on the floor.

The impact of the ground sent a shooting pain up Piper's back and into her left shoulder. With a loud thump, her head collided with the hard, wooden floor and even before her eyesight could come back into focus she could feel a large bump forming on her temple. The rather pungent smell of sweat met her nostrils, and she was suddenly aware of a weight lying over her. Still dazed from the bump on her head, Piper's vision was blurred. She could roughly make out the form of a male- muscular and well built- but the only thing Piper could be certain of was that, whoever or whatever had just knocked her to the ground had a head of wild red hair.

Ignoring the pain in her shoulder, Piper lifted her arms into a defensive position. She was not going to miss this time. All of the anger that had built up inside of her since the winds this thing had created had appeared in the attic was going to aid in her burst of molecular acceleration. She edged herself slightly off of the floor and tensed her shoulder muscles, allowing rage to reach a peak. Her fists began to clench and her, still un-focusing eyes, narrowed.

"You ruined my attic." She said slowly, anticipating the explosion which would take place the minute she flicked her wrists. And as she prepared to do it a smile passed her lips, but-

"Piper!" Paige suddenly yelped. "No! Don't blow him up!"

"Damn it!" Piper cursed loudly, allowing her hands to fall limply to her sides in annoyance. "Why the hell not!"

"_Iain?_" Paige gasped in shock.

Piper heard her sister's hurried footsteps approach, but her attention remained fixed on shifting the weight from her body. "Iain _who?_" She asked in sheer aggravation. She raised her hands once again, but instead of using them for magical purposes, Piper took the mortal approach to hurting the so-called 'Iain'. She placed her hands on his chest and, with all the strength she could muster, pushed the man away from her.

"Now," He spoke. His gravelly voice still dripped with a heavy Scottish accent, and held an air of sarcasm. "I don't usually object to beautiful women running their hands over my chest, but in front of all these people? Come on now!"

"_Excuse me?" _Piper's glare hardened and in all her anger she managed to bring her knee hard into his groin. Her complete eyesight returned to her as she watched him wince. She saw Leo approach her at a rapid pace, protectiveness radiating from him, and Piper gave him a quick peck on the cheek after she had grabbed onto her husband's hand and rose to her feet. The sneer she was giving the man turned into an impish grin as se spoke to him. "And I don't usually mind sweaty men on top of me, but..." She watched him squirm in pain for a moment before he looked up. "Just… ew..."

Now that she was able to get a clear look at the man who had left her attic in a complete shambles, Piper observed him closely. He wore only a pair of loose fitting, black denim jeans, which were decorated with various stains in many shapes and colours, and the large, frayed hole running down the front of the left leg suggested this man was not just your average magical being.

His hairless, muscular and toned chest would have enticed the eldest Charmed One, had it not been for her immense anger, and curiosity s to who this 'Iain' was- and perhaps the fact Leo was glaring at the stranger through narrowed eyes, with his arm wrapped protectively around Piper's waist.

When she gazed into his face, a striking familiarity to someone emerged. His sturdy jaw line was framed by wild and tousled, red, flyaway hair, and the amused expression, which was fighting through the pained one he wore, made his nose crease in the centre. The heavy bags underneath his eyes, and the tiny wrinkles which framed them suggested the man, whoever he was, had been through more than his crooked smile let on, but there was a twinkle in his eyes which showed otherwise. …His eyes! That was what made him so familiar. Deep midnight blue, surrounded by waves of aquamarine- he was a Nauctater!

A Nauctater? That certainly explained how Paige knew who he was… and now that she thought of it the name Iain did sound rather familiar… "Iain?" She muttered to herself, leaning back into the arms of her husband, who's glowing hand was placed over her injured shoulder. "Iain Anderson?" She looked sideways into Leo's green eyes, and calm settled on her once more. Leo would never fail to calm her in even the most tense of situations. "_Mark's brother?_" She exclaimed loudly, realisation finally dawning on her. But when she turned to question the brother of her late friend, he wasn't there. He was on his feet and racing towards Paige with open arms.

"Paigey!" He exclaimed. The Scottish accent made perfect sense now.

He wrapped his powerfully built arms around the youngest Charmed One and lifted her into a huge bear hug. Paige's eyes were wide and her face wore a mixed expression of surprise, amusement and curiosity. Barely taking in what was going on, she did not return the hug. But it was clear that the shock of the unusual way in which he had arrived was slowly being replaced by excitement.

"Get off me, you big galloot!" She mumbled and he quickly placed her back on the floor. A huge grin had spread across her face by now. Organising trips to Scotland always proved difficult with three young children, so an unexpected visit from one of Mark's closest family members was not unwelcome. "What the heck are you doing here?" She asked him happily.

"I'll explain later." He told her, and his fun loving appearance suddenly changed. His blue eyes filled with concern as he placed his strong hands firmly on his sister-in-law's shoulders. "…How've you been?"

Paige shrugged off his hands, not informing Iain of the fact they were hurting her, and gave him a grateful smile. "I'm still standing here, aren't I?" She replied quietly.

"Okay!" Piper's shrill voice cut through the air. Jason edged out from behind the table and stood behind Phoebe, his bewilderment clear from his expression. Phoebe gave him a sympathetic smile and opened her mouth to talk, but Piper's shrill voice stopped her. "Would somebody mind telling me what the hell is going on here?" Paige and Iain turned their heads towards the audience they had gained. Piper's head was bowed forward and her eyebrows were pointed upwards, in a demanding expression.

"Well…" Paige began, pursing her lips as she spun slowly in the direction of her family. "This is Mark's older brother, Iain." As she spoke, Paige waved her hand and a small cluster of orbs appeared behind Piper, revealing Laura and Rachael, and another in Jason's arms which revealed Warren.

"Hello." Iain greeted with a wave, his eyes lighting up at the sight of his nieces. "There're my two favourite girls!" They excitedly ran towards him, literally leaping into his open arms. "Wow, you've gotten so big!" He exclaimed, placing a kiss on top of Laura's wild curls, and rubbing cheeks with Rachael, whose hair was an identical colour to her Uncle Iain's. "I hope you've been being good for Mummy?"

"Yup!" Laura told him, "I eated all my vegables!"

Iain gave a snort of laughter and allowed Paige to lift Laura from his arms, turning to face Rachael. "And what about, Baba Mee? Have you been eating all _you're_ vegetables?" (AN- Yup, another nickname. You'll soon learn it's and Anderson thing! Lol)

"No." Rachael's face turned sour, "Icky!"

"That's ma quine!" Rachael grinned at her Uncle's use of the Scottish dialect, but the happy greetings of Uncle and nieces alike was apparently not enough to warm Piper's heart towards the redheaded Nauctater. Before she could snap again, however, Phoebe had laid a silencing hand on her sister's arm.

The middle Charmed One gave the new arrival a broad grin before turning to lift her youngest nephew from where he sat in Jason's arms. Through his huge blue eyes Warren gazed at his aunt, and even at only four months old his face showed an expression of inquisitiveness. Phoebe smiled at him and began walking toward the centre of the room, avoiding the debris left from Iain's extraordinary entrance. Unlike Piper, she was rather excited by the prospect of having another witch to help with demon vanquishing duties- especially with a new Source in power. And if he really was an Anderson, that meant he was a powerful witch too.

"And who's this lovely lady?" Iain asked, as Phoebe approached with Warren in her arms. The young Nauctater gurgled in response. His arms stretched forward and his small hand grabbed onto his aunt Phoebe's large, golden pendant. What he had grumbled was inaudible, but to Phoebe, apparently, it sounded like a word.

"Did you hear that!" She yelped excitedly, her gaze turning from Iain Anderson, to Warren. "Paige, he just said Hagula!"

"Phoebs," Paige sharply turned her neck, her gaze moving from her daughters who Iain had retuned to the ground, to Phoebe. She gave her sister a condescending look, cocking an eyebrow and pouting her lips. "_'Hagula'_? Seriously, sometimes I wonder if you understand the English language…"

Pink began to creep slowly up the middle Charmed One's neck and into her cheeks, and she turned her head to the floor avoiding embarrassment as Paige rolled her eyes.

"Well, Aunt Hagula," Phoebe blushed deeper when Iain addressed her. She looked up from the wooden floor panels and into Iain's eyes. His mischievous expression gave him a striking likeness to Mark, which had not been noticeable before. Apparently, the brothers shared the same sense of humour. "I take it this is my one and only Nephew."

And the embarrassment abruptly left. Iain's grasp on Warren was remarkably gentle for a man of his muscular physique. He managed to hide the moist layer which had just glazed over his eyes by blinking, but Phoebe noticed the formation of tears. It was then that she realised that this was the first time Iain had ever met his nephew. He had not been present in the Scottish farmhouse when Paige had given birth, and in the past four months the Andersons had not travelled out of San Francisco.

"Hiya." Standing bare chested and covered in battle scars, the six foot five Scotsman looked slightly odd cooing to the tiny baby. "You're just like your father…" He whispered quietly, before regaining his larger than life appearance. "Aren't you a big boy? Aren't you?"

"Oh, he's an Anderson alright." Paige told her brother-in-law with a grin. "I swear he is s-"

A loud whistle cut through the air, causing everyone's heads to snap in the direction of the harsh noise. Piper removed her thumb and forefinger from her mouth and gave a satisfied smirk knowing she finally had everyone's attention. "Okay, as sweet as this is, can I _please_ get some answers?" Piper threw her hands in the air and gave an impatient grunt. "Why are you here, and why the heck did you feel the need to destroy my attic in the process?"

"Well…" Iain shifted uncomfortably on his feet and his eyes shifted from side to side, eventually resting on Paige with a pleading look.

"Hey, don't look at me!" Paige told him with a grin, waving her arm to the side, "Piper has a point! Was it really necessary to annihilate the attic?""

"Okay, so it was maybe the first time I've transported myself further than my back garden…" Piper and Leo gawped at him in disbelief. Jason looked mildly amused.

"So you thought you'd experiment with you're power and mess up my house?"

"Well… I thought you'd be used to this kind of thi…" He trailed off in the middle of his sentence, almost frightened by the frustrated expression on Piper's face. "You know what? I'm going to be in San Francisco for a wee while… I'll clean it up for you."

"Now, _that's_ the answer Piper wanted," Paige smirked as she patted Iain on the shoulder.

"Not quite." Piper snapped. Paige rolled her eyes and Phoebe let out a quiet groan. Iain looked slightly exasperated, but a smile passed his lips.

"Yes?" He asked.

"You still haven't answered why you're here!"

"Oh." Now a huge grin was spread across his face, bringing his likeness to Mark back, once again. "Well to help this little guy here of course!" He pouted his lips and crossed his eyes, moving his face close to Warren's and blowing a raspberry in his face, resulting in a giggle from the baby boy.

As amused as Paige was with Iain entertaining her son, her eyebrows shot skyward. "Help him with what?" She enquired.

"Nauctater duties." He replied with a snort of laughter as if it had been as clear as day. "They don't come easy, darlin'! Someone with Nauctater blood has to help him along."

Phoebe now looked more confused than her younger sister. She had known Mark for seven years and was never aware of any "duties" he had to perform. "Duties?" she questioned.

"Yeah, y'know... The powers, and the demons..." For the second time that evening, Iain regretted his words. Paige's happy facial expression turned grim at the mention of demons, and anger clearly began to well up inside of her. "But don't worry!" he hurriedly corrected himself. "Demons come later of course. Much, much, _MUCH_ later!"

"Good." Paige said firmly, her smile returning.

"Would I lie to you?" He asked impishly. "And…" Suddenly Warren, who he had been holding close up until now, was abruptly placed back in his mother's arms. "Uh, Mummy..." He wrinkled his nose in Paige's direction, "Someone in this room need's a changin', and it isn't Aunt Hagula."

AN- End. You likey+crosses fingers+ And so that is Iain! PLEASE tell me what you think of him… be honest! Lol. And also if you're wondering (and I'm sure some of you are) how Charlotte's premonition was so vivid when it was her firs one… well, it'll be explained in the near future! Reviews are appreciated! Thankoo!

**The final chapter**

**Chapter 33- Accepting the Inevitable. –** With the threat of the new source, the elders introduce the kids to their whitelighters. They also offer a gift to the Charmed Ones to help them and their children prepare for the fight ahead of them. We learn a little more about Iain Anderson, and Paige makes a sorrowful realisation about her life.


	33. Accepting the enevitable

Hello there and a Merry Christmas to you! Thanks for the reviews. Of course, I don't expect any of you to be reading this during the festive season, but, as I said in a previous chapter, my mum is dying to read it and I thought it would be nice if I could have it finished so I could give her a copy for Christmas! Hah. And well… the end is nigh. The end is also pretty suck-tastic. There are some parts of this chapter that I'm actually quite fond of, and others I don't really like. Please forgive the crap ending to such a long journey. I've left a bigger A/N at the end. I look foreward to your kind reviews. And now I'm going to completely cack myself as I wait for your opinions. I've never finished anything in my life, so this is a huge milestone for me as a writer. Again, happy holidays!

**Chapter33- Accepting the Inevitable.**

Iain Anderson sat in an unusual silence at the dining table of the Halliwell Manor. His broad shoulders, which were usually held back in a very masculine pride, slumped forward lazily. Next to his hand, which was clutching tightly to a large, black, leather wallet, resided a half empty mug of coffee. His glazed eyes did not even flutter when the middle Charmed One entered the room. Apparently the Nauctater was not even aware that Phoebe had arrived.

"What's this?" Phoebe asked with a grin, gazing at the photograph which Iain had been fixated on in his wallet. Iain looked ready to have a heart attack as he gave a startled jump. He had really been transfixed by the picture which Phoebe was now examining. Staring at her from the polaroid were a pair of huge, inquisitive blue eyes, which held the same air of mischievous glee all 'Anderson eyes' seemed to hold. A large pair of circular glasses, which appeared to be falling down the young boy's freckled, button nose, framed his eyes and accentuated his jaw line. Also aiding in this was his wild red hair which stuck up at odd angles everywhere. Accompanied with broad grin which revealed a missing front tooth, the boy, who appeared to be sitting on the raised end of a seesaw, was the epitome of cuteness. "Cute kid,"

"It runs in the family." Iain replied arrogantly.

"Who is he?" Phoebe enquired as Iain turned to face her, still clutching the wallet in his scarred hand. "Cousin? Nephew?"

Iain's brow furrowed at Phoebe's suggestions, but a proud smile soon replaced his almost offended expression. "He's my boy." The Nauctater said, "My son."

It took a great effort for Phoebe not to spit out the water she had just sipped. Her eyes widened and a small choking sound was emitted from her throat. When Iain squinted his eyes at her again, she tried with all her might to remove her shocked expression from her face, but she could not seem to make her eyebrows drop. Iain had a son! She had only known him a week, but in that time he had never spoken of any family; He wore no ring on his finger; He just didn't seem like the fatherly type. Phoebe had, in fact, been highly amused by his irresponsibility, and lust for life. To find out that he had a son was a slight shock to the middle charmed one.

"Your son?" She enquired, trying to sound inquisitive rather than surprised, and failing miserably.

Iain, apparently, did not notice Phoebe's shock. His blue eyes had fallen back onto the picture and a bittersweet smile passed his lips. "Yeah." He said, "Craig…" He stopped for a moment and his smile sank.

Phoebe placed a hand on Iain's shoulder and an enquiring look appeared on his face. "How old is he?" She asked.

"Six when this was taken." Iain told her, perking up a little, "Of course, he's fourteen now. Too cool for his old dad." He snorted a laugh, and Phoebe smiled in return. This was probably the first time since his arrival that she had even had a proper conversation with Mark's older brother. And unusually for the inquisitive Phoebe, she knew nothing about him.

"Where is he now?" She asked.

"Back home… in Scotland." Iain shifted uncomfortably in the chair, and as Phoebe opened her mouth to ask about Craig's mother, the Nauctater continued, sensing the question which was coming. "With his mother."

"Your wife?"

"_Ex_ wife." He replied bluntly, emphasising the 'ex' with all of his power as a look of what appeared to be hatred washed over him. "Ex." He repeated.

It was at this point that Phoebe decided to change the subject. As much as she wanted to get to know her new friend, there were some things you did not delve in to. "So…" She began, drumming her fingers on the bottle of water she held, searching her head for something to ask him. "…Do you like cheese?"

The sullen expression which looked very out of place on Iain's face was quickly replaced with one of genuine amusement. "I _love _cheese!" He boomed.

As the two's laughter died out, the discussion was given no opportunity to go further. Both Phoebe and Iain's eyes were drawn to the corner of the room where a small cloud of blue and white lights was forming into the figures of the two Anderson girls. Rachael clutched onto Laura's hand tightly, her usually pale skin a shade paler than was normal. Laura, however, looked unperturbed.

"Where's your Mom and Aunt Piper?" Phoebe asked her nieces, picking Rachael up and sitting her on her lap. Laura casually sauntered over to her Uncle Iain and placed her elbow on his knee, leaning on him as she said with a roll of her eyes, which made her likeness to Paige immense.

"Another demon attacked." She informed her Aunt, nonchalantly.

Before Phoebe or Iain had time to react to the statement which Laura had just made, however, yet another cluster of orbs had appeared in the kitchen. It quickly formed the two women in question: Paige was smiling down at her son, who was resting on her hip, but there was am anger hidden in her doe brown eyes which was very apparent. Next to her, Piper stood with her lips pursed and her arms folded tightly across her chest. She was not amused. In her right hand she clutched what looked like the remainders of an item of clothing. However, it was hard to tell what the smoking, black, crisp, fabric had been.

"This is getting awfully expensive!" She exclaimed in frustration.

**xxxxx**

Later that evening, the Charmed Ones and their children sat together in the attic of the Manor, engrossed in conversation about the demon problem which had been causing them so much stress. Though the kids sat on the floor playing with various different toys, their mothers did not share the same happy looks. Piper had resorted to pacing the attic's wooden floorboards, her long hair- not holding its usual natural shine, and static from the amount of times she had run her fingers through it- flew behind her as she plodded back and forth across the hardwood floor, her footsteps making a steady drumming pattern. Paige, as she had learned to do over the years when there was a crisis situation, was standing at the small circular table in the corner, throwing various ingredients into a small wok, hoping to produce some sort of defensive potion. Even after everything, her sisters had helped her to realise that the only way to resolve a magical problem was with magic. And finally, Phoebe stood at the attics most prominent feature: the wooden podium in the centre of the room which held the infamous Book of Shadows. Since the vast numbers of demon attacks had started, she was sure she and her sisters had received more paper-cuts than anyone in the world from flipping through this book, but still her hands frantically turned the aging pages.

"I just don't get it!" Piper exclaimed in frustration, clenching her fists to prevent accidentally sparking her explosive power. "The last Source didn't send this many demons after us." She took an exasperated seat on the old couch and placed her head in her hands, letting her hair fall limply over her face.

"But didn't Leo say that The Source isn't necessarily _sending_ them? There's a very likely chance that they're coming after us because they want to _impress_ the new Source." Phoebe said, not lifting her gaze from the ancient tome of a book.

"Okay Phoebs," Paige began, moving towards her sister, "Enough Book of Shadows for one night. I swear you've read that thing so many times in the past few weeks that you can probably recite the whole thing to me!" She snatched the book from under her sister's nose and gave Phoebe a gentle shove in the direction of the potion pot. "Job switch."

"Oh all right!" Phoebe complied, shuffling towards the cauldron where Paige had just stood, which seemed to be bubbling without any source of heat underneath it. "But I was just repeating what Leo told us."

"Where is Leo anyway?" The youngest sister asked, turning to face Piper.

"The elders called him up there a while ago… come to think about it, he's been up there way too long." She rose to her feet again and paced towards her sisters, "Leo!" She boomed skywards.

In just a matter of seconds a flurry of blue and white lights had formed the angelic face of her husband. Just one look at him was enough to momentarily put a smile on the eldest Charmed One's face.

"Hi," She greeted, slipping her arm gently around his waist as he planted a soft kiss on her forehead, "Where've you been?"

"The elders called an emergency meeting." He told her, "Regarding our situation."

"And- well there isn't really much point in asking this because it's the Elders we're talking about, but did they reach any solutions?"

"Actually yeah." This settled the room into silence. Even the children were quiet now, and all eyes rested on Leo, urging him to continue. "They've assigned the kids new whitelighters so that I can help you fight off the demons."

"What?" Piper and Paige gasped at the same time. Phoebe, however, looked to be finding the Elders' plan quite interesting.

"Why can't Sam do it?" Paige enquired.

"Because they want to give each respective family their own whitelighter." Leo explained, "To be fair that's how it works with every other magical family."

"Cool," Phoebe replied, "Sounds good to me! We need all the help we can get, I say!"

"…I guess." Paige finally agreed.

"So when do we get to meet them?" Piper asked, confirming that she too was warming to the idea.

"Actually…" Leo trailed off as his gaze turned towards the ceiling and he let out a loud whistle.

Moments later, a cluster of orbs had begun forming in the room, and soon it formed three whitelighters- a man and two women. Paige's eyes were immediately drawn to the smaller of the two females. She stood at the same height as the youngest Charmed One, but the fact that her slightly oversized jeans trailed on the floor, accentuated her lack of height. She was incredibly slender. Contrasting with the bagginess of her trousers, her torso was dressed in a very tight, fitted, black blouse, with sleeves which came only down to her elbow. It was adorned with magenta pinstripes, and it fastened with four, large, lime-green buttons. Her outfit made her look as though she belonged in a pre-teen female punk band. Her face, however, did not. Her long, auburn hair fell in perfect waves around her smiling face, and her blemish-free skin was covered in thousands of constellations of freckles. Her nose was slightly upturned but accompanied by her grin, which revealed a mouthful of crooked teeth, it created a childish innocence about the woman. Her hazel coloured eyes were gleaming with happiness, and were scanning the room with excitement. Clearly she was excited about the prospect of being whitelighter to a Halliwell child.

Beside her, the second female whitelighter stood. Her long, incredibly dark hair had been pulled back into a loose ponytail revealing her slightly large ears. She, too, wore a smile, but hers was not nearly as obvious; her large lips looked almost like they were not used to smiling. Her nose contained a small bump in the middle, but it went almost unnoticed, as her gorgeous brown eyes drew attention away from it. The contrast in appearance between the two female whitelighters was immense. This woman towered over her companions, standing at at least five foot ten. Of course, this could have been aided by the woman's footwear: just looking at the pointed toes and three inch heals made Piper's feet hurt. The dark brown leather of the boots stretched up her slim legs stopping just below her knees, where they were met by the frayed edge of a camel-coloured skirt. The soft, suede material clung flawlessly to the woman's thighs, but gave a distinct kick at the bottom, making its shape somewhat resemble a church bell. Her choice in top was also a huge contrast with the other female: she wore a very conservative, cream blouse, with a slightly flowery pattern expertly embroidered into the front using black thread. It hugged her hourglass figure perfectly, but was buttoned all the way to the neck, revealing absolutely no flesh. Her posture was very different too. Her shoulders were held high and her back straight; immediately The Charmed Ones could see that the two females came from very different time periods.

The third whitelighter- the only male of the group- had nothing incredibly defining about his appearance. He dressed in tight, black-denim jeans which flared slightly over the top of his green- so dark that they were almost black- Dr Martin boots. He seemed to have quite a muscular physique, but it was hidden beneath a loose white shirt and brown leather jacket. His broad jaw was covered in a thick layer of stubble, and his blonde sideburns stretched all the way to his jaw line. His face was not the handsomest the Charmed Ones had ever laid eyes on, but it was not unpleasant to look at. His nose was broad and slightly off centre, and his cheekbones were so high that his grey eyes were almost slanted. His smile, however, was bigger than either of his female colleagues.

"Guys," Leo addressed the kids, drawing the Halliwell sisters' attention from the three new arrivals and onto their own whitelighter. "Meet your new whitelighters."

"I'm Derek." With a rasping, English accent, the male enthusiastically introduced himself. He took a step forward, and with a sturdy grip, shook the hand of each Charmed One in turn. If first impressions meant anything, he was certainly making a good one.

"Jessica." The tall female followed Derek's lead. Her accent was not noticeably different, but her voice was almost emotionless.

"Nice to meet you…" Paige replied, giving her sisters a sideways glance.

"You too." And still no emotion. She seemed nice enough, but Jessica was not proving to have the same charming effect as Derek.

"And this," Leo signalled towards the final whitelighter, "Is Allison."

"Dude!" She addressed Leo, almost offended, "I'm capable of introducing myself! Allison O'Neil." The petite female turned to the Charmed Ones and offered her hand, but found the witch nearest to her laughing too hard to accept her introduction. "What did I say?" She asked, confused.

"Leo!" Piper giggled, "Dude?" And she continued to laugh. Apparently she did not see her husband as a 'dude' of any sort.

"Yeah," Allison agreed with a small laugh, "I get your point."

Taking a deep breath, Piper's laughter subsided and she offered her hand to the whitelighter who was patiently waiting to shake it. "Piper," She said, still grinning, and giving her husband an amused smile.

"Allison O'Neil." The whitelighter repeated from before, "I'll be Prudence, Andrew and Amy's whitelighter from now until… well forever I guess."

"Great!" Piper, for once, seemed pleased with a decision made by the elders.

"What's great?" Iain, who had apparently entered the attic some time during the introductions, asked. "Oh, that I'm here!" He gave the Charmed Ones a cheeky smile and approached the large group of people. "Iain Anderson," He said with a grin. He bowed his head and took Jessica's hand, giving it a small kiss, causing the woman to flush.

"Iain!" Paige snapped, slapping her brother in law on the arm; she glared at him, but apparently his name aroused curiosity amongst the whitelighters.

"…You're Warren's guider?" The male asked, his accent again making the three witches grin.

"I certainly am!" Iain replied, "I take it your whitelighter to Laura and Rachael?"

"Got it in one, mate." The two men moved to shake hands, but a confused Paige moved forward, stopping the formal introduction.

"Whoa, wait. What?" She turned her back on the redheaded Nauctater and turned to face the man who had just made himself known as her daughter's guardian angel. "Why the hell does Warren not have a whitelighter?"

Derek's already narrow eyes squinted in confusion as he looked to Leo for help. "I thought she knew…?" He whispered, as if expecting Paige not to here.

"Knew what?" The youngest Charmed One snapped. She followed Derek's gaze to Leo, who was biting down uncomfortably on his lip. "Leo!" She went to take a step towards her sister's husband, but a sturdy grip on her shoulder stopped her. She turned to face Iain, and slapped his hand away from her. Paige threw her hands upwards and twitched her neck sideway as if urging one of her brother in laws to explain the question which was now prominent in her mind.

"Calm down, Paigey." Iain said, smirking uncomfortably, "It's nothing awful."

"Why then?"

"Well…" He smiled at his nephew who was sitting on the floor, absentmindedly playing with a piece of tinsel, left over from the Christmas celebrations. "Nauctaters don't have whitelighters."

"Oh…" Paige bit down on her lip as pink slowly began to creep up her neck and into her cheeks. She knew she had overreacted. But curiosity still did not leave her. "Why not?"

"Well, why do you think I'm here?" Iain smiled pointing at himself with his thumbs, "Nauctaters are guided by other Nauctaters." He gave a beaming smile, but Paige did not look reassured. "I was, Doug was, Mark was; and look how we turned out!"

"Oh God…" Paige gawped sarcastically. She turned on her heal and scooped Warren into her arms. "My baby is going to turn into a raving lunatic."

"He might," Iain replied, "But that'll come from your side of the family." He poked out his tongue and nudged Warren under the chin. "And I'm sure the girls are in perfectly capable hands too."

"You're bloomin' right!" Derek grinned, and he gave Laura and Rachael a small wave.

Phoebe smiled at both her sisters, and turned to address the only remaining whitelighter. "So that leaves you for-"

"Melinda-Jayne." Jessica interrupted.

Phoebe blinked a few times in disbelief, and offence. She found herself suddenly envying her sister's children's whitelighters, and looked to her daughter's apologetically. She did not like Jessica. At all. But then her dislike was replaced by panic and confusion- the same emotions she knew her younger sister had just been feeling.

"Just MJ?" She asked urgently, "Not Charlotte?"

"Not that I was informed of."

"But…why?"

The tall woman's stern appearance suddenly disappeared, as a puzzled expression spread across her pretty face. "I…don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?" Phoebe pushed past her sisters who were still conversing with their children's respective whitelighters and lifted a startled Charlotte off of the ground. She placed her youngest daughter on her hip and ran a concerned hand through Charlie's soft brown hair. "Find out!" She snapped, causing the little girl in her arms to give a shocked yelp.

"Yeah…" Jessica's gaze settled on Leo and her eyes narrowed. Apparently she did not like being out of the loop.

"Don't look at me!" He exclaimed, throwing his hands forward in defence, "I'm as clueless as you!"

"Well I guess that cuts this meeting short." Derek whispered, but loud enough for everyone to hear. Allison and Jessica nodded in agreement.

"Before we go," Allison began, turning from the children and back to their mothers, "We've been asked to tell you to gather here tomorrow at noon." She turned to Phoebe, "And make sure Melinda-Jayne's father is here too."

Sensing the question that was coming, Jessica continued, avoiding the piercing gaze of Phoebe, "The Elders want to give you a gift."

"Well it better be a damned good one! And it had better include a damned good explanation as to why only one of my daughters has a whitelighter!"

**xxxxx**

As they had been asked to, The Charmed Ones, their children and Cole gathered in the attic. Iain had decided that since he had only been with the group for a short period of time, he would not accept the gift which he had not earned, and no matter how much Paige insisted, he refused. Resuming the activities they had taken up the previous evening, they waited impatiently for the whitelighters to arrive. It had been twenty long minutes before any sign of orbs had even made a presence, but this had turned out to be only Leo.

"Jessica, Derek and Allison are going to meet you there." Was the first thing he told them.

"Meet us where?" Piper asked, narrowing her eyes.

"I'm sorry," Leo replied sincerely, looking very apologetic, "I can't tell you." And before anyone could respond, a horrible lurching sensation met the Halliwell family's stomachs as they were snatched from the room they were standing in.

Piper felt her feet make contact with the ground, but she kept her eyes firmly closed. Her blood was boiling, and her frustration with the elders had reached its peak: they interrupt her cooking, they thrust three new faces into her life, just when it had gotten complicated enough, they avoid every question she asks them, and _now_ they transport her to a place she doesn't even know! What the hell were they playing at?

Unintentionally she clenched her fists, tightening her grip on Andy's hand. When he gave a small yelp of pain, and attempted to tug his hand from the grasp of his mothers, Piper opened her eyes in panic.

"I'm sorry baby, Mommy just… whoa."

Piper suddenly found herself unable to string two words together. For a moment, the intense bright light of wherever they Halliwells had been transported to had blinded her, but now that her surroundings had become clear, she had been rendered speechless. Every ounce of anger she had been feeling drained from her system and it was almost as if the beauty of this place had wiped all emotions, other than awe, from her.

She was standing ankle deep in crisp, white, powdery snow. It wasn't until that moment that she had even realised the damp chill creeping up the legs of her jeans, or the cold moisture slowly seeping through her suede shoes, let alone the frosty, cold air which was beginning to prickle her skin.

They were standing in some sort of forest clearing. All around her a thick blanket of bright white glistened, reflecting the sun's afternoon light. Various species of tree weaved together. The dark grey of their trunks was such a contrast to the snow which surrounded them that it was almost as if someone had placed a dark throw over the snowy blanket. The cool white powder also clung to the branches like a child to its mother's hand. The angelic white of them, gracefully entwining with one another above the dark, silvery trunks, created the effect of layers in the distant landscape, but up close it just created such a tremendous beauty that Piper could not keep her eyes off of it.

It was a fascinating and tremendous sight to behold. Even the smallest, most spindly branches sported a coat of the intricately formed snowflakes. In some places they sat in clusters, in others only a thin veil was visible, but this was what created the splendour of it.

"Wow" Piper heard a gasp from behind her. Apparently Phoebe was equally as awed as she was.

The middle Charmed One let her hands fall limply to her sides, letting her grasp on Charlotte disappear. Wherever the elders had transported them, gratefulness had now replaced the annoyance Phoebe had been feeling previously. For as long as she had lived Phoebe had longed to see snow like this. Sure, when she had been in New York it had snowed, and heck, San Francisco rarely got a brief shower, but this landscape was immense.

Only three feet from where she stood, what should have been a stream had iced over. The narrow winding ice path shimmered as it reflected the sun's freezing glare. Delicate flowing swirls formed the beautifully complex patterns on the waters frozen surface, and the tracks of where a small animal of some sort had taken advantage of the solid water were still visible. Phoebe's smile grew as her amazed eyes followed the paw prints off of the river, and she continued to find amazingly unnatural beauty in the wintry paradise, as the footsteps only disappeared when they rounded one of the frost covered bushes.

"Mommy?" Came Charlotte's almost panicked voice, and Phoebe felt a gentle tug on the damp leg of her, brown cord flares, interrupting her viewing of this tremendous place.

It took a moment for Phoebe to regain her composure. She had become so enticed by her surroundings that the noise of everything around her had become hazy and distant. When it eventually dawned on her that Charlotte was attempting to gain her attention, she quickly spun to face her daughter's direction. However, even more quickly, she regretted her decision to do so.

"HAH!" Paige's mocking voice rang out excitedly as the snowball she had thrown towards her sister slammed off Phoebe's forehead. Her laughter echoed through the clearing, making her enjoyment seem only more prominent, and when it was joined by the amused laughter of the children, the forest's atmosphere became wonderfully happy.

Paige had always loved snow: The crisp, clean, cold air, and the crunch beneath her feet; catching the snowflakes on her tongue and brushing it from her eyelashes; making snow angels, and arguing over who got to put the carrot on the snowman's face; it was the one kind of weather that never failed to make her grin. Her surroundings now were the most beautiful she had ever seen though. The bright, vibrant blue of the sky seemed almost out of place, but it added to what was making her jaw drop. There didn't seem to be a single cloud nearby, yet at least seven inches of snow had freshly fallen.

When she had been young, Paige's adoptive parents, and her Aunt and Uncle had taken her every year to spend Christmas in their Canadian ski lodge. And every year she would beat them all in a snowball fight. Apparently she had not lost her aim, nor her serving arm.

"Paige!" Phoebe had scalded heatedly, but she had soon been laughing herself.

Much to the youngest Charmed One's delight, it was only a matter of seconds before everyone had joined in. Of course Amy and Warren, being to small to even stand in the snow, remained in their respective strollers, squealing in delight as the their mothers pelted their other aunt with balls of icy cold snow.

"Hey, come on!" Phoebe protested, ducking from the path of yet another snowball. "I'm outnumbered!"

"And you throw like a girl!" Piper replied, laughing at Phoebe's failed attempt to hit her.

"I am a-" She was cut off by yet another snowball, but this time one which had been launched by her ex. "Ow!" she yelped. "Oho! You're against me now too, huh!" Cole just responded with a guilty chortle.

"I choose my team wisely." Cole said, grinning, and throwing another snowball towards the witch, whose temper was gradually rising.

"This is so unfair!" Phoebe whined, darting behind a tree to shield herself from another attack of icy cold spheres. In aggravation, the middle Charmed One turned and kicked the trunk of the great oak. Too preoccupied by the intense pain which had began rocketing through her foot, she did not notice the heavy pile of snow which was now falling from the tree, having been loosened by her act of annoyance.

Soon, the middle Charmed One soon found herself buried in a mound of freezing cold snow. Her utter humiliation only grew as the laughter of her sisters and Cole met her ears. The three in question could now barely stand from laughter. Paige's hands rested on Piper's shoulders to keep her upright, and the eldest Charmed One had linked arms with the tall dark and handsome lawyer next to her. Even though they had no idea where they were, they had not had this much fun in a long time.

Beside them, Laura was giving a similar flamboyant laugh. The eldest Anderson child was grinning menacingly at her sister, two large snowballs clutched in her purpling hands. Rachael did not look as amused. Her red hair was already full of white powder from where Laura had hit her with snowballs, and her lips were pursed in determination to get her sister back. It seemed, however, that every time she had a direct aim on her sister, Laura would freeze the snowballs in mid flight, and push them to the floor.

"No fair!" The younger sister yelled, scowling, but a wicked smile was soon beginning to play at the corners of her frowning lips. As Laura opened her mouth to respond to her sister's comment, still moving towards her at a rapid pace, Rachael's left hand flew forward and a stream of ice shot from her fingertips. When Laura's foot landed on the now icy ground, and she suddenly came hurtling to the floor, sliding down the slope of ice which her sister had created, it was Rachael's triumphant laughter which was heard. However, she had not anticipated her sister sliding towards her. Before Rachael even had time to react, Laura had knocked into her, causing her to join her sister sitting in the cold white powder, and both Anderson girls sat at the foot of the large pine tree, covered in snow, and roaring with amused laughter.

A few yards from Laura and Rachael, Prue and Andy were finding fun in a less offensive method of playing with snow. Together, they were rolling a large snowball across the snowy ground, grinning as it increased in size. Already the sphere of snow reached Andy's waist, but he still continued to help his sister create the base of a snowman.

Charlotte and Melinda Jayne had also taken amusement in snowball throwing, but not at each other. After seeing what had happened to their mother, both girls had decided to give Piper, Paige and Cole a taste of their own medicine. Of course, being only two and four, the girls had trouble forming snowballs which actually managed to hit their targets, but nonetheless, everyone was having fun.

The happy ringing of Paige's laughter cut off suddenly, but nobody else seemed to have noticed the fiery sphere which was now reflecting orange in the youngest Charmed One's eyes. She dropped the snowballs which she had been forming in he hands, and her lips pursed tightly. This type of ball was not in the rules.

Fireball!" Paige's voice- a mix of panic and frustration- echoed though the clearing. She threw her hand forward, directing the fiery sphere away from her, but her attempt to redirect it proved futile. "Fireball!" She yelled again. Still nothing. Her powers were not working.

**xxxxx**

Iain's wild mess of red hair was very noticeable against the mint green of the paint in the hallway of the Halliwell manor. He sat wit his back against wall, staring in contemplation at the staircase in front of him. He had pulled his knees close to his chest, enabling them to act as a rest for his elbows. His hands clasped together in front of his face, and his strong arms, revealed by the black tank-top he wore, looked only more muscular, due to his tense posture. Since the Halliwells had left and Leo had been called 'up there' by the Elders, he had walked up and down those stairs so many times that he knew by heart that the third stair from the bottom had a hollow creak if you stood on its centre, and the top stair had a loose floorboard. Yet no matter how many times he ascended the staircase, he had never brought himself to actually open the door which led into the attic.

It was not as if he had not entered the attic on many occasions since arriving in San Francisco. Hell, it was the first place he had stepped foot in. But now that he was alone, with such an opportune moment to look through the Halliwell Book of Shadows, it was different. That book held so much information about the Halliwell family and the opponents they had battled over the years, but he could not manage to rid himself of the horrible feeling that he was betraying his own family- particularly his late younger brother.

"Bloody hell," He grumbled, rising to his feet again. Apparently there was something more important than Mark on his mind. Slowly, he made his way up the stairs for what felt like the millionth time, carefully avoiding the creaking stair and the loose floorboard. It was ridiculous that in all his years as a Nauctater, this small, battered, wooden door was one of the hardest obstacles he had faced.

But his hand grasped the door handle firmly. The cold of the metal against his clammy palms sent a chill down his spine, but he clenched his jaw and closed his eyes, ignoring the feeling of guilt in his stomach. "Sorry Mark." He whispered, pushing the door ajar, "It's for Craig's sake." And then he stepped inside the dark room.

**xxxxx**

The reflection of the fireball in the youngest Charmed One's eyes grew to a striking orange flare as the sphere of orange flames slammed into her chest Pain rocketed through her suddenly limp body as she was flung through the air at a tremendous force. When her body collided with a large cluster of trees, what had just been hilariously funny was not at all amusing. An avalanche of perishing snow cascaded from the trees' many branches, burying the injured Charmed One underneath.

"Mommy!" Laura and Rachael screamed, leaping to their feet and charging across the stormy sea of snow to where their mother lay. At the same time, Warren's deafening screams rang out through the clearing.

"Why the hell did you not freeze it?" Phoebe snapped at her older sister, torn between going to help her nieces retrieve their mother from her icy tomb, or turning to fight whatever it was that had injured Paige.

"I tried!" Piper replied angrily. "My powers aren't working!"

It was then that Phoebe noticed her sister was rapidly flicking her wrists in the direction of where the fireball had come from. She turned on her heals and was met by the maliciously sneering face of a monstrous demon.

His lack of height was compensated by his huge physique. Though it was more obesity than muscle which made him so large, his appearance was enough to stir vomit in the Charmed Ones' stomachs. His skin was a vilely pale shade of olive green, and his horribly large head, which appeared to have at least six chins, was root to a disgusting mane of greasy and matted grey hair. The wicked grin on his face revealed that he was completely toothless. He was undoubtedly the most disturbingly ugly demon they had ever encountered. And due to their powerless circumstances, and the fact they were down a sister, panic was becoming more prominent.

"MJ!" Piper suddenly yelled, as she realised her niece- who wore a very determined expression- was approaching the demon. But then another realisation washed over her: Laura and Rachael had been using their powers earlier- the kids still had their powers. Apparently the Elders so-called 'gift' involved the children vanquishing a demon.

Apparently Phoebe had met the same realisation, as she was now ordering Prue to heal her Aunt Paige. Piper suspected it would be a hard task to pry Laura and Rachael from their mother and convince them to aid in the vanquish, which they would undoubtedly be needed for as their powers were two of the strongest. But she was wrong. The moment a golden glow had began emitting from Prudence's hands; both Anderson girls rose defiantly and marched towards the demon. At the same time, Piper dashed forward to retrieve Amy and Warren's strollers to safety, whilst Phoebe remained glued to the spot, eyes fixed on the children in fear of what was going to happen to them, and Cole ran to Paige's side.

The demon still wore a smirk on his beady-eyed face, and he had formed two large fireballs in his palms. "Little children?" he sneered, his voice barely understandable due to the heavy amounts of saliva he emitted as he spoke.

"Big fat demon?" MJ countered, forming her own fireballs- one was sickly neon yellow, the other a familiar orange.

"I hate children." The demon continued. He raised his arm, which produced the horrifying smell of aging perspiration, and released his first attack. It flew at an unexpectedly rapid pace towards Andrew, who had been standing at Melinda-Jayne's side. In his panic, Andrew did not think to use his telekinetic powers, but thankfully the arrival of his older cousin prevented him being injured.

"Hey!" Laura spat viciously as she activated her most advanced power and froze the fireball in mid air, "Leave him alone!" She then turned towards the vile demon, not allowing her fear to show, and thrust her wrists forward, thus putting her molecular acceleration into action. It did not have much effect though. It hit his left elbow, causing his arm to go limp and the fireball in his hand to extinguish, but the demon seemed unfazed.

MJ, having seen Laura's almost useless attempt to hurt the demon, took it up herself to try. First she released her fireball, aiming directly for his face. She grinned as it hit its target. He let out a roar of pain and stumbled backwards, leaving MJ with enough time to release her sphere of temporal stasis. This hit his knee, but when he moved it to stop himself from falling backwards, it became apparent that it was not going to work.

In his frustration and pain, the demon formed another pair of fireballs and threw them towards the gathering of children. This time, however, Andy had been prepared. He waved his arm, redirecting one of the fireballs- which had been heading straight for Charlotte- back at their rival, and a toothy grin spread across his face as the demon fell to the floor.

"Laura! Look out!" Paige, who was apparently now healed, screeched. Her eldest child had been too preoccupied by Andy's success to even notice that the second fireball had been hurtling towards her.

"FIREBALL!" Fortunately, Prue was now able to help. Her remarkably loud voice called for the destructive ball, and in a twinkle of blue and white lights, it disappeared and reappeared behind the horrifyingly obese evil being. Much to the eldest cousin's delight, this rendered the demon unconscious.

The chorus of cheers from the children rang through the clearing, but the Charmed Ones remained in a stunned silence. Paige and Cole approached Piper and Phoebe, all four wearing mixed expressions of shock, relief and anger. Their children- not one over the age of six- had just overpowered a demon without the aid of an adult. And still there was no sign of any whitelighters.

Amy and Warren's respective mother's lifted them from their strollers as they approached their other children, and Cole and Phoebe exchanged an astounded look- both unable to believe the courage their daughter had shown in the face of danger. Their jaws dropped even further when they looked up to see the unconscious demon, now encased in a cave of ice which Rachael had provided for it, dissolve in front of her eyes.

"What the-"

"Did you see me Mommy?" Prue asked, beaming with pride, cutting off her Aunt's question.

"Yes, and I'm so proud of you!" Piper decided to leave her bewildered questions until after she had congratulated her children. She stretched her free arm out and pulled both Prue and Andy into a loving hug, so that all three of her children were in her arms. "All of you."

Paige did not even need to speak to enable her daughters to feel her pride. Both Laura and Rachael had leapt into her arms the moment they had seen her, but Paige had turned her head so that none of her three children had seen the tears which had formed in her eyes.

Phoebe was the last to envelope her children in her arms, but when she did it held no less love or pride. "Well done, babies." She whispered softly.

Cole, however, although immensely proud of his daughter, was more disturbed by the fact that the demon had disappeared from plain sight. He had lowered himself to his knees and was running a cold hand over the snow where the demon had just lain. It made no sense. Demons did not just disappear like that.

"Uh, you guys?" He asked slowly, "What happened to the great oaf?"

"I think we can answer that." A familiar English accent cut through the crisp air. Apparently the whitelighters had arrived.

"Go for it." Replied a very agitated Piper. The Charmed Ones and their children all looked expectantly at the three figures who had apparently just orbed in.

"Well this-" Allison signalled with her hand to the wintry surroundings, "is your gift."

"A snowy clearing in the middle of nowhere?" Paige asked, her eyes widening in disbelief.

"Actually it's usually only snowy until February." Jessica told her, "And I think you'll find Yosemite National Park isn't really the middle of _nowhere._"

"Yosemite?" Piper questioned, "The Elders are giving us Yosemite! Don't you think somebody will notice?"

"Actually you just get this clearing." Derek explained, "They've magically sealed it so that demons can't find it and mortals don't even see it." He grinned, "It's a place where you can practice your magic and train your powers in peace."

"What?" Phoebe, slightly bewildered, asked.

"Why?" Paige continued.

"If it's magically protected how did the demon get here?" Cole asked, moving back towards the Halliwells. "And what was the significance of me being here?"

"_And_ why didn't our powers work!"

"Okay," it was Allison who spoke this time, "Because of the new Source, the Elders think it would be best if you guys allowed yourselves and the kids to develop your powers. The only way to do that without you being spotted is to magically protect a piece of land, far enough away from civilisation so that you aren't easily revealed, where you can freely practice magic. Cole, you're here because they believe you have played a large part in the children's upbringing and you deserve to see this place."

"Right…" Piper looked like she was quite fond of the idea, but she was still not very happy. "But what about our powers, and how did the demon get in?"

"The Elders momentarily took your powers and summoned the demon."

"They _what?_" Paige snarled.

"It was to test the children's abilities." Jessica replied, as if it had been perfectly clear. "The Elders needed to know what they were capable of."

"By putting their lives in danger!" Cole snapped.

"We were on hand to heal any casualties." The tall female whitelighter said firmly.

"But you were prepared to let Paige bleed to death?"

""Look." Derek stepped forward so that the bickering would stop, "It's hard to explain, but I promise you the plan was fool proof. Why don't we all calm down and take a moment to explore?"

Piper gave an aggravated sigh, but gave in to the whitelighter's request. "Okay…" She grumbled turning towards her sisters.

"You know," Paige whispered to her, "If it wasn't for that accent he would _so_ not be likeable!"

**xxxxx**

The attic was unusually quiet. Iain was suddenly very conscious of his own heavy footsteps on the wooden floor as he made his way to the centre of the room. But it was too late to turn back now. He had to do this. He had to do it for Craig.

Though it stood only feet from the six foot four Nauctater, the wooden podium looked so far away. He was having difficulty convincing his feet to move forward, but his heart was urging him to approach it quickly. He was torn, but his long passed father had always told him to follow his heart, and that was something he had always stood by. He was going to gather all the information from the book that he could manage.

And then he was face to face with it. His midnight blue eyes traced the triquetra on the front of the worn, green cover more times than he could count, before he raised his arms ready to open the ancient tome. He took a large gulp of air and shook the mass of ginger hair out off of his face, and then he moved his arms towards the Book of Shadows.

Next thing Iain Anderson knew, he was letting out a surprised and frustrated yelp. "What the hell?" He seethed, bringing a fist down hard onto the wooden podium. "No bloody way!" The book had jumped from his grasp.

**xxxxx**

That evening, Paige silently crept through her darkened apartment, with her sleeping son in her arms. She ran her fingers through his thick curls and gave a melancholy smile. He really was more like his father than he would ever know.

She took her elbow and gently pushed the nursery door open, preparing to lay Warren in his crib before she too retired for the night. The sorrowful smile she wore, however, soon turned into one of adoration and pride. Instead of going to sleep in their own beds as Paige had thought, Laura and Rachael slept huddled together beneath the lime green covers of the nursery's spare bed. They looked so peaceful. She always found it slightly amusing when anyone called them angels, but that is what they were. There had been a time when Paige had never even dreamed of having children; she had been an irresponsible, fun-loving and carefree young woman, swept suddenly into the world of magic by the sisters she never knew she had. But now, after everything that had happened in the last seven and a half years, her children meant more to her than anything in the world. The days events had made her realise how much her daughters had grown since Mark's death. Watching them come face to face with the demon in Yosemite had struck something inside her.

She gave Warren a kiss on his soft, rosy cheek and blinked back a tear. Her baby was yet to experience the real danger of magic, even though before he had even been conceived he had caused what was perhaps the biggest uproar the underworld had ever seen.

Turning to give her daughters a goodnight kiss and straighten out the covers they slept under, Paige found herself unable to hold back the tears any longer. Twelve months ago, Mark would have been by her side, arm around her waist and a cheeky grin spread across his handsome face. But he was not here now. And Paige found herself feeling incredibly guilty as her eyes settled on Rachael and Laura. They had grown so much in the past year, and not just in height: their powers, their knowledge, their appreciation of family and their understanding of the world around them. And they had grown without a father.

It was a horrible realisation to come to. She had managed for a year without him, and she had done it brilliantly. Laura was now at school, thoroughly enjoying her education; Rachael's sorrow had taught her how to face her enemies with the utmost bravery; and little Warren had survived his first Christmas being the perfect angel. As much as she hated to think about it, she did not need Mark any more.

Wiping her eyes, she slipped out of the room and quickly into her own across the hallway. There she was greeted by a large portrait photograph of her and Mark's wedding day. More tears spilled over her eyelids, but she gave the picture a broad grin.

"I'll always love you, you know that Mark?" She whispered, running her hand over the soft canvas. "But I think I need to live my life now."

She gave a large sniff and her right hand moved quickly across to her left, where she clutched her wedding ring tightly. She couldn't stop her tears. She felt guilty. But she felt unusually happy too. She would never experience the love she and Mark had shared with anyone else, and he would hold a special place in her heart forever. But it was time to move on.

Little did she know, an event which was waiting in the near future was going to make moving on prove harder than she knew…

**The End**

AN- AAAAAHHHHHHH! Okay, you think I'm really sad- especially since that chapter was a load of crap- but I am sooo excited! I finally finished something! For the first time ever+**does little Christmas jig**+

I'm going to take this moment to say a huge thank you to all those who have stuck with the story, reading and reviewing- and those who just read. It means a lot to me that you take time out of your busy schedules to read my work. I wish I could hug you all! Haha.

And also to say, never fear for there will be a sequel! Hah. Of course, you'll all hate me when I tell you this next part- it won't be posted until February. +hides+ You have to understand that being a senior means I have a hell of a lot of work to do and February sees my preliminary examinations. Once they're over the sequel, _"Will it Set Them Free?" _shall be posted. Of course, to keep you on your toes and still baring with me, in the time between now and February I plan on posting a Paige/Mark oneshot, which will tell the story of the night he proposed to her.

Thanks so much for reading. I hope you continue reading when I post the sequel.

Laur x


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